Crews continue to contain Montana Creek, Denali area fires

Fire crews continue to work towards 100% suppression of the Montana Creek fire, which has been burning since June 29. The fire, which is located 16 miles south of Talkeetna, is about 48% contained, as of Wednesday evening.

According to Alaska Wildfire Information, crews will remain vigilant in their mop up work as there is the possibility of winds, leading to an increase in fire activity.

The 172-acre fire is located in a critical Protection Area prompting multi-agency resource response headed up by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (DOF). Currently 101 personnel are assigned to the incident including resources from BIA, Bureau of Land Management, State and USFS, along with crews assigned include Gannett Glacier Fire Crew, Payson Hot Shots, Teakean Type 2 Initial Attack Fire Crew and the Kenai based Denali Fire Module.

Fire crews continue to secure the line, working deeper and further into the black, with the primary fuel source being black spruce. Crews continue with mop up efforts where fuel conditions allow and increase containment depth. With 4th of July holiday, the public is reminded that discharging fireworks in forested lands is illegal.

Due to the fire activity seen within the fire area residents along the Leroy Davie Road and Montana Creek Road corridors were moved to a SET (Alert Status). However, an evacuation order has not been issued as of this publication. There has been confirmation that one outbuilding has been lost to the fire.

Meanwhile, Alaska State Troopers on July 2 received a report of a deceased person located in a residential fire on S. Dog Sled Drive in Talkeetna. According to the AST dispatch, the identity of the individual is unknown at this time and the State Fire Marshal Office is responding, and the body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office to determine cause of death and positive identification.

The cause of the residential fire remains under investigation at this time and the deceased person was alone in a cabin that was being built on the property by another individual.

Reports surfaced that a second person was living in a trailer on the property where the cabin was being built, and the victim of the fire was in the cabin at the time of the fire, and additional reports that the cabin was where authorities say last weekend’s Montana Creek wildfire began. However, AST said that Tuesday’s fire investigation is unrelated to the investigation into how the wildfire started on Saturday, officials confirmed that the Montana Creek fire, was human-caused, possibly by a vehicle on the property.

The Parks Highway remains open as of Wednesday. The public traveling on the Parks Highway will continue to be impacted by a contingency of ground resources assisting in fire suppression efforts between milepost 94-100. The public is encouraged to stay attentive and slow down near the fire area as crews continue suppression efforts throughout the day. The temporary flight restriction has been lifted.

Meanwhile, crews continue to work on protecting property and people from the Riley Fire in Denali, which sparked o June 30, leading to widespread disruptions at Denali National Park. Day use visitors, private vehicles and buses are still being kept out of the park.

Latest reports indicate that containment lines on the Riley Fire are holding, keeping it from the Denali Park and Preserve entrance a mile south, and to the west of the Nenana River. Firefighting efforts are focused on the southern end and flanks, allowing the fire to burn northwest up a hillside where it may reach a scree slope to help confine the fire. The Smith River Hotshot Crew will join the efforts after demobilizing from fires near Central and Circle.

The fire is now 10% contained after firefighters extended a containment line into the railroad easement on the south end. They’ll work to increase that percentage until full suppression of the Riley Fire is obtained. Using better imagery data, fire managers now estimate the fire to be at 388 acres.

“Although park operations remain suspended, local businesses in the area are still open and visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the many other opportunities to recreate in the Denali area.” Additional information can be found at www.denalichamber.com.

“Cooperation between the Denali Borough, National Park Service, and all cooperating agencies has been fantastic and has contributed to the success of fire management operations thus far,” Park officials wrote online.

The cause of the Riley Fire remains under investigation.

At last check, the state has counted 170 active fires. Twenty of those fires — such as the Riley — are being staffed.

The Parks Highway remains open. Go to www.511.alaska.gov for road condition updates. Contact the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Information Office at (907)356-5511 for more information.

This is a developing story.