Three wildfires burn within 4 miles of Anderson

Three wildfires are burning near Anderson, with crews actively working two of them and aviation resources assessing the third.

Seventeenmile Fire

The Seventeenmile Fire is the most uncertain of the three. First reported June 21, it sits about 3 miles west of Anderson across the Nenana River. As of Thursday, aviation resources had flown over the fire and were preparing heat maps to inform further action. No ground crews have been deployed.

Lost Fire

The Lost Fire, 4 air miles north of Anderson, moved into monitor status Thursday after a crew of about six firefighters reached the one-acre site by amphibious vehicle. They carried water bags, saws, and hand tools, cut and dug up hotspots, and gridded the area inside and outside the perimeter for any additional heat before heading back. It was the second day of boots on the ground since the fire was spotted June 20.

Starry Fire

The Starry Fire, the most advanced of the three, reached 65% containment Thursday. Crews worked 10 to 50 feet in from the perimeter, extinguishing areas of heat and cutting through jack straw, dense and criss-crossed fallen trees, to reach heat underneath. Firefighters also finished work on a 1.5-acre spot fire outside the dozer line on the southeast side, an effort that had been underway since June 21.

The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection manages wildland fire across roughly 150 million acres statewide and coordinates Interior fire response through its Northern Region Office in Fairbanks.