Hundreds flee Alaska wildfire

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Hundreds of people and their pets fled a wildfire in Alaska’s Interior on Thursday as fire crews knocked on doors to urge others living along the Elliott Highway to pack their things and leave as soon as possible.

Fire managers braced for possible strong winds that could make hot, dry conditions worse on the 117,500-acre Boundary fire, about 30 miles north of Fairbanks.

“Structure protection is our focus today,” said Brett Ricker, a spokeswoman with the state Division of Forestry. “Conditions have been so extreme. We’re off the charts when it comes to extreme fire behavior. This is really a special case.”

People began leaving the area Tuesday, heading to Fairbanks. About 200 workers at the Fort Knox gold mine, 25 miles northeast of Fairbanks, were evacuated late Wednesday, but mine officials said they were resuming operations with a small crew of 15.

“It’s a little better than we thought yesterday. The fires are a little bit farther north,” said John Wild, general manager of Fairbanks Gold Mining Inc., which owns the mine. The returning crew will be able to run at a reduced capacity for at least five days, Wild said.

The fire was most active Thursday at about Mile 14 of the Elliott Highway and near Mile 29 of the Steese Highway, Ricker said. Crews were urging residents between miles 10 and 28 to get out.

Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski was in Fairbanks to assess the worsening situation.

“I want Alaskans to know that we are aggressively fighting these fires,” Murkowski said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the fire would be eligible for federal funding of up to 75 percent to pay for firefighting costs. A national firefighting team took over management of the fire on Wednesday.

The evacuations began Tuesday around Mile 42 of the Steese Highway after the fire topped a ridge and began racing toward a subdivision. The fire more than doubled in size overnight, catching firefighters and homeowners off-guard.

Many residents fled with a few belongings and their animals to the Chatanika Lodge. But as the fire moved closer Wednesday, they were told to head to Fairbanks.

Lodge owner Ron Franklin said he was staying put. “I built this place,” Franklin said. “This is 32 years of my life.”

The American Red Cross set up a shelter for displaced residents at a high school in Fairbanks. Dogs and other animals — including chickens, goats, 42 miniature horses, 12 reindeer and nine pregnant pigs — were taken to the state fairgrounds. Sled dogs were taken to a fenced baseball park and to the homes of local mushers, said Jeanne Olson, manager of the borough animal control.

“Some of the animals are a little confused,” she said. “Our greatest concern are the exotic birds like parrots because they’re so susceptible to smoke. But they seem to be doing OK so far.”