McDonald Fire Near Fairbanks Merges with Clear Creek Fire
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The McDonald Fire, 31 miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, ignited on June 8, 2024. It has now merged with the Clear Creek fire as fire activity increased for both areas.
The fire is 172,236 acres in size. Luckily temperatures are expected to begin cooling with rainy weather. But, there is still a lot of smoldering in areas that precipitation doesn’t reach due to the canopy of trees.
The McDonald fire has been burning in the corner of the Tanana Flats Military Training Area, has crossed the creek, and is spreading. The 5-mile Clear Creek Community is on high alert.
The fire originated in this remote part of the training range due to lightning and was fueled by strong winds and the dry conditions prevalent in the area.
🔥🔥 UPDATE July 6th, 2024: The McDonald Fire is 172,236 acres with 77 assigned personnel. A Type 3 Incident Management Organization is now responsible for managing the fire, coordinating moderate-scale resources and personnel to control and mitigate the fire’s impact effectively.
🔥🔥 UPDATE JUNE 24th: The McDonald Fire is now 50,262 acres. The Clear Fire, 8,657 acres, is about 15 miles northwest of the McDonald Fire. Burn Permit Suspensions are in place for Fairbanks, Salcha, Delta, Tok, and Railbelt areas.
The FNSB has areas along the lower Salcha River, Harding Lake, Hollies Acres, Canaday, Salcha, and Johnson Road neighborhoods in a READY status for evacuation.
🔥 UPDATE JUNE 17th: Fire activity increased on Saturday due to higher temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, which created conditions conducive to rapid fire spread.
🌧 UPDATE JUNE 12, 2024: Early Wednesday morning, the McDonald Fire experienced some relief with rain. The fire is still .3 of a mile north of the nearest cabin.
🚨 UPDATE JUNE 11, 2024 at 1:51PM AKST: FNSB Emergency Alert -Level 2 (SET) Evacuation is in effect for Tanana South, located west of the Tanana River at River Mile Marker 228-233, south of the McDonald Fire and north of the FNSB Boundary.
✔️ Level 2 SET means to be set to evacuate and to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.
Current Fire Status and Impact
As of July 6th, the fire has grown substantially and merged with the Clear Creek fire, covering an estimated 172,236 acres.
⚠️ There are active air quality advisories in effect for the Central and Eastern Interior regions of Alaska.
The Alaska Fire Info site will be updated regularly and links to a PDF map showing the spread. The rapid spread is attributed to hot, dry weather and wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour.
Smoke from the fire has been visible from Fairbanks and North Pole, but has not yet affected quality and visibility across this region. Healy is getting a lot of smoke in the evenings.
Weather shows a cooling pattern with scattered showers and thunderstorms today through Friday. This is hopeful as long as lightning strikes do not occur.
Fire Response and Efforts
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska Fire Service has mobilized smokejumpers and water scoopers to protect a group of 20 cabins along 5 Mile Creek, also known as Clear Creek.
They have been tasked with clearing flammable brush and setting up water pumps to create defensive lines. Despite moderated conditions, the fire remains highly active on both its northern and southern fronts.
Eight smokejumpers initially landed on a sandbar at the confluence of the Salcha and Tanana rivers and are being transported to the site via boat.
Water scoopers have been actively dropping water on the fire’s edge to prevent it from advancing toward the cabins.
Additional firefighting resources, including the BLM AFS Midnight Sun Hotshots and the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection’s White Mountain Crew, have been deployed to bolster protection efforts.
McDonald Fire Safety Measures
The fire is in a challenging location, making access and containment efforts more complex. The thick smoke and hot, dry conditions have hampered firefighting efforts.
However, firefighters are working nonstop to control the blaze and prevent it from reaching cabins.
Community Impact and Advisory
Residents in and around Fairbanks have been advised to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid the smoke.
The Alaska Division of Forestry has issued air quality advisories and is closely monitoring the situation to provide timely updates and safety guidelines to the public.
Challenges and Weather Impact
The fire’s smoke is affecting visibility and air quality in surrounding communities along the Richardson Highway. Despite cooler temperatures, the fire’s activity has not diminished, with smoke and ash impacting the area. However, there’s a hopeful forecast this week with a 70% chance of rain, which could potentially help moderate the fire’s intensity.
McDonald Fire Community Advisory
Residents and recreational visitors near Harding Lake will notice increased firefighting activity as staging areas are set up to shuttle personnel and equipment closer to the fire.
The Alaska Division of Forestry is continuously updating the public on safety measures and fire status.
Residents can also check the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center’s wildfire dashboard.
Contact BLM AFS Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at (907)356-5510, (907)388-2159 or eipsen@blm.gov for more information.
Stay safe, and I hope this gives you a comprehensive update on the McDonald Fire!
