Wildfires Continue To Burn Throughout The State

[MIKE USWFA]

by Jill Burke
Sunday, July 12, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Crews continue to battle wildfires around the state.

The Shanta fire on the Kenai Peninsula slowly moved away from Soldotna on Sunday. Right now it's about 10 miles southeast of the city.

Firefighters say the fire is moving to the east, but warmer weather and south winds could move the main fire north toward the Kenai River and Funny River Road, and no rain is expected over the next few days.

More than four hundred firefighters are on scene. At its closest point to private land the fire is about four miles away, along the northern boundary of the wildlife refuge.

No evacuations are under way as of Sunday evening, but conditions could change quickly.

There is also an aggressive effort to battle blazes in the Railbelt Complex near Nenana.

Overnight Saturday lightning ignited a new 300-acre fire in that area, called the June Creek fire. It's 33 miles south of Nenana, 20 miles northwest of Healy, and five miles west of the Parks Highway.

It's also close to the Bear Creek subdivision, and is a new priority for firefighters who are in full protection mode there.

This is the third fire in the area, which also includes the Minto Flats and Lunch Lake fires.

Numerous lightning strikes on Friday also ignited two new fires in Denali National Park and Preserve.

The new fires are near the base of Ruth Glacier -- something that hasn't happened since the mid 1990s.

Firefighters are monitoring the remaining burns, but the area is beneath the flight path for planes headed in and out of the park, and pilots are asked to be mindful of firefighting efforts in the area.

Two other fires in the park boundaries -- the Bear Creek fire and the Foraker Pond fire -- continue to burn but are not threatening any structures.

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