The Bonanza Creek Fire (#238) has burned an estimated 12,516 acres, while the larger Goldstream Creek Fire (#270) has reached 19,121 acres.
Currently, 391 personnel are fighting these fires, with significant efforts being directed toward protecting communities and infrastructure.
In response to the escalating situation, a community meeting has been scheduled for Friday, July 11, at 6 p.m.
This meeting will be held at the Ester Volunteer Fire Department, located at 3570 Old Nenana Highway.
The meeting will be recorded and posted online for those unable to attend.
Evacuation levels were updated on Thursday, July 10th, by the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
The evacuation levels are classified as follows:
🔴 Level 3 “GO!” includes areas along the Parks Highway corridor from mileposts 316.5 to 338, as well as mileposts 338 to 341 south of the highway.
All residences within at least a one-mile radius of the highway are included in this category.
Additionally, west of the Fairbanks North Star Borough boundary, areas extending from the borough’s western edge, 4.5 miles west, and from Sled Road north for 7 miles beyond the Alaska Railroad fall under the Level 3 evacuation order.
This includes Standard Creek Road and nearby timber harvest access areas.
🟡 Level 2 “SET” evacuation status applies outside the Borough along Parks Highway from mileposts 309 to 316.5, stretching west to incorporate homes along Little Goldstream Road and agricultural regions, as well as areas north of Little Goldstream Creek.
Within the Borough, the Standard Cache area, which includes Standard Road and Spencer Spur, is also under Level 2 evacuation.
🟢 Level 1 “READY” evacuation status encompasses Parks Highway miles 305-309 outside the Borough and areas inside the Borough from mileposts 338 to 351 north of the highway.
Other regions include the Old Nenana Highway, Standard Creek, Old Ridge Trail, and Equinox Trail, all of which are in Level 1 ‘READY’.
Individuals and families looking for evacuation shelters should be aware that Hutchison High School will close at 1 p.m. on Friday, and the Nenana evacuation shelter will close at 5 p.m.
A temporary animal evacuation center has already closed as of Thursday at 5 p.m.
However, a clean air room continues to be available during regular hours at Noel Wien Library for those affected by smoke.
Fire weather conditions have seen some improvement, with clearing skies on Thursday afternoon allowing for reconnaissance flights over both fires.
The visibility contributed to updated acreage estimates, and recent rainfall has aided in slowing fire activity.
Fire spread is now mostly limited to interior islands of unburned fuels.
As temperatures are forecasted to rise through the weekend, reaching highs of the upper 70s to low 80s by Sunday, caution remains imperative.
Fine fuels like grass, spruce needles, and leaf litter are likely to dry quickly under these warmer conditions.
This increase in dryness raises the potential for active fire behavior.
As for the Goldstream Creek Fire (#270), firefighting efforts in the Little Goldstream community have concluded, prompting crews to refocus their attention toward Mile 310 of the Parks Highway.
Firefighters are actively checking structures and surrounding areas for any remaining hot spots and are working to improve defensible space as needed.
Crews continue to assess heat levels along the highway and reinforce protection measures, all while managing the challenges posed by wet conditions that rendered many side roads impassable.
On the eastern edge of the fire, evaluations of access and terrain are underway to identify safe routes and strategic options to prevent further spread of the fire.
Meanwhile, at the Bonanza Creek Fire (#238), crews work diligently along the fire perimeter near the Parks Highway.
Their efforts include extinguishing hot spots and removing hazard trees to minimize risks posed to roads, infrastructure, responders, and the public.
Due to a lack of water sources in the area, tenders must support firefighting efforts by constantly replenishing portable tanks.
Firefighters are also focusing on improving defensible space around structures and clearing downed trees that contribute to fuel loads.
The strategy aims to keep heat from escaping the fire’s interior while reducing potential threats along the highway corridor.
As firefighting efforts continue, road safety remains critical.
Firefighters and their equipment are present along the Parks Highway, and traffic patterns are closely monitored and adjusted as necessary.
Drivers are urged to slow down, adhere to flagger instructions, and proceed one vehicle at a time behind pilot vehicles to ensure both public and responder safety.
The control area for firefighting has been reduced, showing progress, but delays might still occur due to heavy equipment and activities along the highway.
Public access to state forest roads within and around the fire area remains restricted to protect firefighter safety, and these restrictions may adapt as conditions change.
For current updates, travelers are encouraged to check 511.alaska.gov.
Power restoration efforts are complete from Nenana to Mile 315, but falling fire-damaged trees continue to cause intermittent outages in some areas.
Utility crews will remain vigilant, patrolling, clearing hazards, and restoring power as efficiently and safely as possible.
For real-time updates on power outages, the public can refer to GVEA’s outage map at outage.gvea.com.
For ongoing updates regarding the wildfires, residents can visit Alaska Wildland Fire Information at akfireinfo.com or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/AK.Forestry.
For immediate inquiries or concerns, the Public Information Line can be reached at (907) 331-0454 or through email at [email protected].
image source from：akfireinfo
