8/23 9:30 am: The Mat Su Borough will be partnering with other local agencies to deliver destroyed structure notifications to residents affected by the McKinley Fire on Friday morning at the Menard Sports Center and Upper Susitna Senior Center. Staff will be available 10 a.m. until about 2 p.m, or as needed due to turnout. More information in the link below
There will be a McKinley Fire Community Meeting August 23rd at 6:30 pm at the Willow Elementary School. The Alaska Incident Management Team will provide an update on the current fire situation and will be able to answer any questions from the community.
8/22 8:30 pm: MEA is currently in the process of reenergizing the main electrical lines. This is a coordinated effort between MEA and fire personnel. Once the main line is determined to be completely recharged and firefighters are clear, MEA will begin to initiate a north to south pole by pole reenergization of the main line.
8/22 10:05 am: Updated fire map for the McKinley fire has been released
8/21 11:14 pm: The McKinley Fire is now 10% contained, and new mapping has revealed that it is smaller than previously measured. The new measurement is 3,752 acres.
https://www.facebook.com/AK.Forestry/videos/2401948863377833/
8/21 6:38 pm: KTNA’s Katie Writer attended the meeting and shared what the team had to say, and what locals wanted to know. The best news of the day is that the team says everyone living in the area has been accounted for. https://ktna.org/…/mckinley-incident-management-team-brief…/
8/21 4:50 pm: From MEA: “***Caswell Outage Update – Weds. Aug. 21st***
Due to extremely dry, hazardous conditions and under the guidance of fire command we are unable to restore power to any of our Caswell members today. MEA crews continue to assist fire crews with damaged and hazardous tree removal as a result of the fire and ongoing burning. Crews are also working on fire restoration efforts, repairing damaged equipment, replacing poles, and removing trees from lines and other potential hazards. We are working closely with fire officials to determine when we can safely restore power to residents in the area. Power restoration will likely occur in a progressive state, meaning when we can re-energize lines, it will be done so in small sections at a time. We will provide new information or updates as they come available, and we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during our response.
For fire updates, please contact 907-761-6233.”
8/21 4:10 pm: From KTNA’s Katie Writer, who attended this afternoon’s meeting at the Upper Susitna Senior Center, everyone living in the fire evacuation area has been accounted for.
8/21 4:09 pm: We’ve heard there may be some confusion about school on Friday. School has been canceled through Thursday due to fire danger. There was already not going to be school on Friday due to a professional development day for school staff.
8/21 2:38 pm: Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code 3.15.075 allows for the reassessment of property damaged by fire and an adjustment of taxes for an owner of taxable property within the borough. For more information or to download an application, please go to https://www.matsugov.us/reassesment
8/21 1:52 pm: There will be another live update at 2:00 pm
8/21 1:50 pm: The Alaska Railroad has resumed freight and passenger services as of this morning.
The Food Pantry is open for food donations only until 4 pm today (Wed) and have plans to be open thru Sunday. Please do not drop off donations of any kind at the Upper Susitna Senior Center.
8/21 12:10 pm: Structure assessment and protection continue on the McKinley Fire. Officials are continuing efforts today to assess and protect structures on the approximate 4,349 acre fire burning between Willow and Talkeetna. An evacuation order remains in effect for the fire area from Mileposts 82 to 91 of the Parks Highway. http://akfireinfo.com/…/mckinley-update-fire-operations-up…/
8/21 12:00 pm: The pilot cars on the Southern side of the McKinley fire have been moved from mile 71 to 76
8/21 10:40 am: There will be a live update on the McKinley fire at 11:00am on KTNA 88.9 fm. If you are not within the listening area, the update can be streamed via our website, ktna.org. Note: we have limited spots for live streaming so if you are able to listen on a radio, please do so.
8/21 10:08 am: From Talkeetna Fire Department: “To all evacuees who are on the north end of the fire. There will be a meeting at the Upper Susitna Senior Center across from Su – Valley High School at 2:30 today the 21st. If you have been evacuated or lost your home in the fire or do not know the status of your home the Incident Commander for the fire would like to meet with you.
Talkeetna Fire will escort anyone stuck in line on the spur or parks highway around 2:00 to 2:15 so you don’t have to wait to go to the senior center just wave down one of our truck when we go by.”
UPDATE 8/20 4:46 pm: Due to the large volume of donations already made, the Food Pantry is putting a hold on non-food items at this time. Food items can be donated tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Food Pantry from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Evacuees who are not staying at the shelter can come to the Senior Center if they need assistance. They can also come to the food pantry distribution on Wednesday.
8/20 1:30 pm: MEA is currently working with fire officials to determine when it is safe to restore power to residents in the Caswell area. Restoration efforts are underway and include repairing damaged equipment, replacing poles and removing trees from lines as well as other potential hazards. Small areas of power will be restored at a time. MEA is unsure when the process will start.
8/20 12:30 pm: Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Vern Halter and Manager John Moosey signed a disaster declaration today for multiple wildfires in the Borough since Saturday August 17.
8/20 12:00 pm: Due to the ongoing fire danger and road closures/delays the following schools will be closed for the remainder of this week (thru 8/23): Willow Elementary, Talkeetna Elementary, Trapper Creek Elementary, Susitna Valley Jr/Sr High School and Beryozova
8/20 11:56 am: Forestry has posted a new update on the McKinley Fire, including a new map. The fire is now estimated at 4,329 acres.
https://akfireinfo.com/…/live-9am-august-20-2019-mckinley-…/
8/20 11:28 am: We have spoken with Talkeetna Fire Chief Eric Chappel regarding traffic near the “Y.” He said the current plan is to alternate northbound and southbound traffic every two hours. Currently, they have been able to send the whole line at once, and there was not a backup down the Talkeetna Spur Road. That situation can change with no notice, however. If there is fire near the road, an ambulance that needs to access the area, or another emergency situation, the highway will be closed temporarily. Also, officials have been emphasizing that cars must stay on the highway. Side roads can still be dangerous, even if there is no fire, due to fallen trees and other hazards. There is a chase car with each group ensuring that vehicles stay on the highway.
8/20 11:15 am: The incident command team held a live briefing via Facebook at 9:30 this morning. The fire behavior is described as “creeping,” meaning it is moving along the edges, but is not being driven by the wind the way it was on Saturday and Sunday. We don’t have a new size estimate at this time. We are anticipating another briefing at noon. We will share that feed from Forestry, and we are planning to air it live as well. There is a community meeting at Willow Elementary scheduled for 3:00 pm. That is also planned to be streamed, and we plan to broadcast it. Borough personnel are conducting assessments of damage and destroyed structures today.
8/19 11:00 pm: Alaska Division of Forestry had a Facebook Live briefing late on Monday. They said that the fire creeped down the highway to mile 84. The northern edge is still at mile 92. The National Guard and Alaska State Troopers will continue to operate pilot cars along the Parks Highway through the fire zone and motorists should continue to expect significant delays heading north and south. No re-entry will be allowed until further notice without exception. Active fire fighting continues between milepost 82 and 91. Motorists following pilot cars are not allowed to stop and check on properties. The recorded video is available at akfireinfo.com and a McKinley Fire Information YouTube channel.
8/19 9:35 pm: The Alaska Department of Public Safety, State Fire Marshal and Alaska State Troopers are working with the Alaska Division of Forestry and Matanuska-Susitna Borough to get a better estimate of structures burned and determine how many were residences. The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Alaska State Troopers are working to account for persons in the evacuation area. Traffic along the Parks Highway is open, but vehicles are being led by pilot cars between Mileposts 71 to 99. Motorists should expect long delays and intermittent closures. Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska National Guard are assisting with traffic control efforts. The Alaska Railroad has been working to remove downed trees and debris from along the tracks and expects to resume full service by Wednesday.
8/19 5:05 pm: The Upper Susitna Seniors and Upper Susitna are establishing the Senior Center as a collection point for donations for people affected by the McKinley Fire. At this time, they are requesting donations of:
• Men’s and women’s clothing in good condition
• Men’s and women’s shoes
• Pet food (dog and cat)
• Baby wipes, towels, wash cloths
• Food, including perishable and non-perishable food, canned goods, and foods prepared in a professional kitchen (no home-prepared food)
These items can be brought to the Senior Center.
8/19 2:55 pm: The Mat-Su Borough School District has announced that FIVE schools in the upper Susitna Valley will be closed on Tuesday due to increased fire danger: Willow Elementary, Su Valley High, Trapper Creek Elementary, Talkeetna Elementary, and Beryozova Elementary.
8/19 2:36 pm: the Alaska Division of Forestry has posted a map of the McKinley fire perimeter and evacuation zone. That map is posted here. We should stress that the map does not indicate whether structures within the perimeter have burned.
8/19 1:30 pm: Trapper Creek Trading Post and Trapper Creek Inn and RV Park report that they have gas.
8/19 12:55 pm: The Mat-Su Borough is seeking information for people in the evacuation zone. If you evacuated from the McKinley fire, please call the Information Call Center at 907-861-8326 to confirm. If you have family that lives in the evacuated area and have not heard from them, please call to provide this information as well. You will be asked to provide full names of individuals at address with number of persons, their ages and birthdates, next of kin, and good contact number.
For more specific Mat-Su area fire information contact, 907-761-6233 OR 907-244-3473.
8/19 12:38 pm: According to an update from the Alaska Division of Forestry, the McKinley Fire is now estimated at 3,000 acres. A video of the briefing is available on the Alaska State Troopers Facebook page.
8/19 Noon: An update on businesses at the Y: Cubby’s Marketplace and Moore’s Hardware are open, and Mat Valley Federal Credit Union plans to open at 1 pm today. Tesoro is open but does not have gas. Crowley Fuels near mile 11 on the Talkeetna Spur Road does have gas.
Evacuations from mile 91 to 82 are still in effect and homeowners are not being allowed back into the zone.
8/19 11:00 am: Eric Chappel, Talkeetna Fire Department chief, confirmed that one pilot car is taking 30 to 50 cars at a time through the fire zone and that each round trip is taking a little over an hour. Motorists waiting to get through the fire zone on the Parks Highway from the north or south should anticipate a 4 to 5 hour wait. If you can delay your trip and avoid the ‘Y’ area with the Talkeetna Spur Road, please do.
8/19 10:49 am: We are hearing reports from multiple drivers that the Talkeetna Spur Road is backing up from the “Y” as people attempt to travel south on the Parks Highway. If you are planning to head that way, expect delays.
8/19 10:28 am: The Alaska Railroad has canceled all passenger service between Anchorage and Denali Park due to the McKinley Fire.
8/19 9:38 am: Fire is now estimated at 2,000 acres. Alaska Fire Marshal’s Office and Red Cross are assessing damage and working to confirm the number of structures lost. Current estimate is at least fifty structures burned. Traffic is moving one direction at a time. Drivers should expect delays. Evacuation order remains in effect from MP 82-91. Evacuated residents are not being allowed to return to their homes at this time.
8/19 8:24 am: The Alaska State Troopers advise that the Parks Highway is open to one-lane traffic with pilot car escort between MP 71 at W. Willow Fishhook Road and MP 99 at Upper Susitna Senior Center. Expect significant delays. Heavy smoke in the area, drive with headlights on. Avoid travel in this area if possible. Check for highway updates at 511.Alaska.gov.
8/19 7:10 am: The Mat-Su Borough has instituted a prerecorded hotline number for incident updates at (907)761-3700. It was last updated a little after 1 am. If you would like to help, The Red Cross is requesting monetary donations only, through its Red Cross Alaska Website (www.redcross.org/local/alaska.html) or over the phone during business hours at 907-646-5401.
8/18 11:58 pm: From Alaska Division of Forestry: A dramatic increase in fire intensity on the McKinley Fire near on Sunday afternoon resulted in the loss of at least 50 structures as firefighters and other emergency responders worked furiously to evacuate and rescue residents threatened by the fire. The latest size estimate on the fire was approximately 1,800 acres as of 10 p.m. Sunday. A Type 2 Incident Management Team from Alaska will be taking command of the McKinley Fire on Tuesday.
With the increase in wildfire activity in Southcentral Alaska the past two days, Forestry is also bringing up multiple other resources from the Lower 48 to assist with containment of fires. Ten hotshot crews are enroute to Alaska and should arrive Monday afternoon. Those crews will be split among the three fires. Two air retardant tankers and four water-scooping aircraft are also enroute to Alaska.
This entire update is available at https://akfireinfo.com/…/mckinley-fire-burns-at-9least-50-s…/ and an updated evacuation map has been added to this post. ( Note that the evacuation map does not reflect the total area covered by the fire by the end of the day. )
8/18 10:56 pm: The Alaska State Troopers are clarifying that the Parks Highway is closed between West Willow Fishhook Road (near MP 71) and E. Helena Avenue (just south of MP 99 at the Upper Susitna Senior Center). The evacuation zone remains on both sides of the highway from mile 91 to 82.
8/18 10:15 pm: The State Troopers have posted that the Parks Highway will be closed between MP 70 and 92 until at least late tomorrow morning (Monday 8/19) due to McKinley Wildfire activity. Please avoid the area. Motorists who must travel between Anchorage and Fairbanks might consider alternate routes utilizing the Glenn, Richardson, or Denali Highways.
8/18 9:30 pm: The north closure point of the Parks Highway has been moved slightly south to Helena Drive, where the Upper Susitna Community and Senior Center is.
8/18 7:30 pm: Be advised, the northern closure of the Parks Highway due to the McKinley Fire has been pushed back from Mile 91 to the Talkeetna Spur Road at Mile 99. Motorists are advised to avoid the area for their own safety. The Parks Highway is closed between miles 70 and 99.
The latest update from Forestry: https://akfireinfo.com/2019/08/18/evacuations-ordered-for-both-sides-of-parks-highway-from-mileposts-82-to-93-after-mckinley-fire-jumps-closes-road/
8/18 7:00 pm: Alaska Division of Forestry says that the wind-driven fire is moving very rapidly and the situation is evolving. Northbound traffic is being stopped at milepost 70 due to concerns for public safety. Parks Highway between Mileposts 83-93 is closed indefinitely. People are advised to stay away from the area.
8/18 6:45 pm: The Mat-Su Borough is reporting that the McKinley Fire is on both sides of the Parks Highway and they are evacuating both sides of the highway from mile 91 to 82. They anticipate that additional evacuations may be necessary further south. The southern shelter has been moved south to the Menard Sports Complex at 1001 S. Clapp St. in Wasilla.
8/18 6:35 pm: Alaska State Troopers are ordering all north-bound motorists to drive back and south of mile 75. Current direction is to shelter at Willow Community Center and additional shelters are being opened. We have received word from Talkeetna CERT that the current Talkeetna and Willow shelters can accommodate pets and livestock, based on size and number.
8/18 6:00 pm: The Alaska Division of Forestry has announced that they are evacuating all of Hidden Hills Road and subdivisions accessed via that road. The Parks Highway is closed from mile 85 to 92. The 6:00 fire briefing was cancelled due to “extenuating circumstances.”
8/18 5:20 pm: The Mat-Su Borough School District has announced that four schools in the upper Susitna Valley will be closed on Monday due to increased fire danger: Willow Elementary, Su Valley High, Trapper Creek Elementary, and Talkeetna Elementary.
8/18 4:50: Alaska Division of Forestry has provided some clarification on the Hidden Hills Road evacuation: An evacuation order has been issued for residents living along the first mile of Hidden Hills Road at milepost 88 of the Parks Highway due to the advance of the McKinley Fire burning just to the north. The Division of Forestry is aware this is a one-way-in, one-way-out road but at this point fire managers are confident the only homes that are potentially threatened are in the first mile of the road. DOF is monitoring the fire to determine if any future evacuations are necessary. If an area outside of the first mile of Hidden Hills Road needs to be evacuated, residents will be notified by the Division of Forestry, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Alaska State Troopers.
8/18 4:10 pm: The Mat-Su Borough and Alaska Division of Forestry have not released any new information on the McKinley Fire since the evacuation notice 2 hours ago. We expect that the 5 pm public briefing will provide clarification on that evacuation and other developments through the afternoon. We will stream that briefing on air and on Facebook.
8/18 2:56 pm: Internet and service have been restored to downtown Talkeetna and KTNA is streaming again at ktna.org/listen.html. We have limited channels on the stream so please only tune in that way if you cannot listen to KTNA on a radio so that people outside the area can follow what’s happening. Thank you.
8/18 2:09 pm: The Alaska Division of Forestry is evacuating the first mile of Hidden Hills Road. We are attempting to get information for the reason for the evacuation. We will be providing live on-air updates more often as this situation becomes more clear.
8/18 2:00 pm: We will be going to live updates on-air at the top of the hour, unless conditions change.
8/18 1:20 pm: The Mat-Su Borough and Alaska Division of Forestry just held a press conference. The cause of the McKinley Fire has not been determined yet. Not much has changed from previous updates below. The evacuation will remain in effect through today and re-assessed tomorrow. Borough Manager Moosey is in contact with School Superintendent Goyette to determine if there will be any changes to school schedules in the upper valley tomorrow. There will be more information on that at a 5:00 public briefing that the borough will hold.
8/18 11:58 am: KTNA’s Katie Writer has been to the Talkeetna Airport, where a Forestry plane landed due to smoke in its cockpit. The plane has been moved off of the runway, and there are no apparent injuries.
8/18 11:50 am: KTNA has lost landline and internet connectivity. Our stream is currently offline.
8/18 11:10 am: The Alaska Division of Forestry has released its first update of the day. The McKinley Fire did not move significantly overnight and remains estimated at approximately 150 acres. There are approximately 70 personnel working on the fire with another crew – the Midnight Sun Interagency Hotshot Crew – enroute. Crews will be focusing their efforts today on getting a containment line around the head of the fire from the highway to the eastern flank. https://akfireinfo.com/2019/08/18/state-forestry-still-working-to-contain-wildfires-near-talkeetna-and-willow-no-structures-lost-evacuations-in-place-highway-open/
8/18 11:00 am: The Mat-Su Borough has scheduled a Press Conference on Mat-Su Valley wildfires for 1 pm at the Borough building at 350 E. Dahlia Ave. They will stream it live via Facebook Live and KTNA will try to broadcast it on-air and on ktna.org. We will also report on the information provided. Our next live on-air update will be at 11:30 am.
8/18 10:00 am: We have resumed live on-air updates at the top and bottom of every hour. The next update will be at 10:30 am. Our stream at KTNA.org is also back online. We are expecting a detailed update from the Division of Forestry soon. The latest we have is that the McKinley Fire has held at approximately 150 acres. Overnight, firefighters worked to put out spot fires that attempted to cross the Parks Highway. The highway remains open with the use of pilot cars to guide traffic. Motorists should expect delays, and the Mat-Su Borough has asked that those who can avoid the area between Mile 87 and 94. Alaska 511 is the best way to get up-to-date information on the highway’s status. No structures have been lost as of this morning.
8/18 7:51 am: The Mat-Su Borough expects that conditions will worsen today, and asks that everyone avoid the Parks Highway between miles 87 and 94. The Parks Highway will be closed intermittently throughout the day by the Alaska State Troopers. A Forestry type 2 team is arriving today. Both Red Cross emergency evacuation centers – Upper Su Senior Center and Willow Community Center – remain open as shelters to assist those displaced by the McKinley Fire.
8/17 10:13 pm: Our internet service is back, and the stream is back online at KTNA.org and on TuneIn. We’re planning to do our last update on air at 10:30 pm unless conditions change.
8/17 10:00pm: The McKinley Fire is holding at 140 acres and remains east of the Parks Highway. There were reports of some spot fires across the highway but firefighters have been successful in suppressing those fires. An air tanker is currently dropping retardant around the head of the fire to create a containment line and slow the fire’s spread. A five-person task force of firefighters from Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson have arrived at the fire and another five-person task force from the Anchorage Fire Department is enroute. Three additional crews are enroute to the fire and should arrive sometime this evening.
8/17 9:45: According to the Alaska Division of Forestry, the Parks Highway will be intermittently reopened with pilot cars guiding traffic, one direction at a time . Drivers should expect delays and the highway may close again if conditions worsen. Alaska’s Highway information center 511 will update on highway closures overnight. You can access that at 511.alaska.gov.
Also the Alaska Railroad is stopping all train traffic 5 miles north and south of the fire.
8/17 9:00: Alaska Division of Forestry has posted an evacuation map — see photos on this post.
8/17 7:45: Update from Alaska Division of Forestry: The fire is burning about one-half mile east of the Parks Highway near Mile 91, It is one of more than a half dozen wildfires the Alaska Division of Forestry’s Mat-Su Area office and local fire departments responded to or were still responding to on Saturday as a result of high winds that knocked down powerlines or caused trees to fall on powerlines. As of 6:45 p.m., the fire was estimated between 120-140 acres and was moving west toward the highway. An air tanker was dropping retardant around the edges of the fire to slow its spread while a helicopter is making water drops on the fire. They posted a map and aerial view, which are included with this post.
More at https://akfireinfo.com/…/wildfire-in-mat-su-valley-closes-…/
8/17 7:20: The evacuation area and highway closure has been expanded from mile 88 to mile 93 of the Parks Highway. Traffic on the highway may be stopped beyond that area.
8/17 7:05: The evacuation center south of the fire is at the Willow Community Center.
8/17 6:42: From Alaska State Troopers: A “Level 3: Go” evacuation notice has been issued for residents in the Wild Bill Way Area near Mile 91 of the Parks Highway due to the McKinley Fire. If you live in the area, please leave your home immediately. An evacuation center is being established at the Upper Susitna Senior Center at 16463 Helena Avenue in Talkeetna.
Residents and others between Parks Highway Mileposts 88 and 92 are urged to evacuate immediately. DO NOT CALL 911 UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY.
8/17 6:10: Miles 88-92 of the Parks Highway are now being evacuated. Evacuation point will be the Upper Susitna Senior Center.
8/17 5:39: From the Mat-Su Borough, “MILE 91 PARKS HIGHWAY WILDFIRE:Location: Wild Bill Way. Forestry is making aerial retardant drops and asking people in the area to stay indoors.”
8/17 5:23 pm: There is a new fire near Mile 91.5 of the Parks Highway. Multiple units are responding, including units being paged up from further south in the Valley.
There is an evacuation in effect for miles 88-92 of the Parks Highway. Traffic is being stopped.
