Siruk Fire near Allakaket at 30% containment; Native allotments within a mile

Two Native allotments lie within a mile and four miles of the Siruk Fire northwest of Allakaket, and the 550-acre blaze reached 30% containment by Thursday night. Neither allotment is currently threatened, but nearby allotment holders and Allakaket-area residents face ongoing smoke and monitoring concerns as crews continue suppression work.

Alaska Wildland Fire Information said in its July 3 update: "Two dozen smokejumpers had the Siruk Fire (#340) 30% contained at the end of their shift Thursday night. The fire is estimated at 550 acres and continues to burn in tundra tussocks and scattered spruce trees." The fire was detected late on June 30 by U.S. Wildland Fire Service aircraft, caused by lightning and classified as natural. Suppression costs have reached $368,644.

Smokejumpers are securing control lines along the fire's edge as they work to hold and improve the existing perimeter. The National Interagency Coordination Center described fire behavior as minimal, with smoldering and creeping. The fire sits in the Tanana Zone under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction, 24 miles northwest of Allakaket. Smoke and aircraft activity are the main observable effects for villagers at this stage. Residents in the upper Koyukuk River Basin are advised to remain vigilant, report new smoke columns, and have an emergency plan in place. The Siruk Fire is one of 314 fires being tracked statewide by the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, data that feeds smoke forecasting tools used to inform communities across the state.