The Arcana Creek fire near the village of Aleknagik is now contained. The fire was discovered Tuesday and the Division of Forestry hopes to have it fully extinguished by Friday morning.
Division of Forestry Public Information Officer Jacob Welsh said four additional smoke jumpers joined the crew already there for a total of eight staff working to suppress remaining hotspots.
"What they're finding is little areas of heat," he said. "What they're doing now is gridding, which means kind of lining out and in a row and walking across the landscape to try to find any areas of heat, and then they'll extinguish that. So everything is looking good there."
There are no current updates on the fire near the Kokwok River. The current estimate is still 1,000 acres in a non-suppression area.
According to the Katmai National Park website, the Contact Creek fire has surpassed 8,000 acres as of Wednesday. That fire’s most active fronts are on its northwestern, southern, and eastern borders.
Smoke continues to affect the region from the surrounding fires. The Dillingham Fire Department recommends the public close windows, wear an N-95 mask when outside, and to stay indoors when possible.
A burn ban is still in effect in Dillingham in consideration of the recent hot and dry weather. If you see a fire, report it as soon as possible by calling 911.
Contact the author at Brian@kdlg.org or call (907) 842-2200.
