FILE VIDEO: The McDonald Fire south of Fairbanks, Alaska was reported to have burned more than 28,000 acres since its inception on June 8.
DENALI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska – Denali National Park in Alaska will reopen to visitors this week after firefighters built a containment perimeter around the Riley Fire burning inside the park.
National Park rangers closed Denali Park on July 2 to day visitors because a wildfire was burning about a mile from the park entrance. At that time, the fire was about 388 acres. Containment was about 5% ahead of the July 4th weekend.
On Sunday, NPS said wildland firefighters had made progress on the containment line, up to 31%. According to the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service, rain on July 4th helped improve firefighting conditions, allowing firefighters to regain containment on the Riley Fire.
All evacuation orders in the Denali Borough have been lifted.
Denali National Park and Preserve staff moved back into park housing over the weekend, and the park is expected to reopen on Wednesday at 4:30 a.m.
The Riley Creek Campground and Day Use Area and the Horseshoe Lake Trail will remain closed due to the ongoing firefight.
“We appreciate the hard work of the firefighters to reduce the fire threat to park facilities,” Denali National Park and Preserve Superintendent Brooke Merrell said. “We extend our deepest appreciation to Denali Borough, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Morning Star Baptist Church, Tri-Valley Community Library, Neighbor to Neighbor, and Alaska Baptist Disaster Relief who sheltered and fed many of our evacuees. The support and cooperation with our community partners through this challenging incident has been amazing.”
RARE ALASKA SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BRING OVER 75,000 LIGHTNING STRIKES NEAR ARCTIC CIRCLE
The number of wildfires in Alaska has increased since late June due to rounds of thunderstorms with high lightning activity. These storms even prompted the National Weather Service in Fairbanks to issue a rare Severe Thunderstorm Warning in Arctic Alaska.
According to the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service, 165 active fires are burning in Alaska on Sunday, and 40 new fires have been confirmed this week.