Alaska's largest wildfires of year rage after 31,000 lightning strikes over 3-day period

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Firefighters across the Final Frontier are working to contain dozens of blazes that have forced evacuations and occasionally sent plumes of smoke drifting into the Lower 48.

According to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, nearly 200 wildfires are currently being monitored, with most burning in the interior region of the state.

Two of the larger blazes are the Bear Creek Fire and the Saint George Creek Fire, which are both burning outside Denali National Park, and together have scorched nearly 40,000 acres.

The Bear Creek Fire, the state's largest blaze of the year, is burning along Alaska State Highway 3 and has forced the temporary closure of the roadway about an hour southwest of Fairbanks.

Fire officials say cabins, power lines and cell towers in the region are among the infrastructure that has been threatened since its start on June 19 from a suspected lightning strike.

The Saint George Creek Fire, burning about 50 miles east of Bear Creek, has prompted structure protection efforts as crews work to safeguard buildings and other infrastructure.

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Out-of-state crews have recently begun arriving, allowing initial responders to take a much-needed break and rejuvenate ahead of what is expected to be a prolonged operation.

"Our top priority is to secure the fire's edge along the highway and keep that transportation corridor open, while also working to protect as many of the structures as we can," said Rob Allen, a fire management officer with the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, during a video briefing.

The Bonanza Creek Fire and Goldstream Creek Fire are burning much closer to Fairbanks, where crews are installing fire lines to prevent the blazes from advancing toward Alaska’s second-largest city.

"There’s also an awful lot of our timber operations in these areas that we’re trying to secure so they can resume operations," said Allen.

Several smaller fires are also burning within Denali National Park, which is no surprise considering that the giant preserve makes up roughly 2% of the entire state.

According to national park staff, more than 31,000 lightning strikes were detected from June 19 to June 21 around the region.

While summer thunderstorms can produce beneficial rainfall, they’re often accompanied by dry lightning, which is a frequent cause of wildfires in Alaska's backcountry. 

Due to the remote locations of many fires within the 6-million-acre park, fire managers have opted to monitor them rather than commit resources for direct suppression.

To help reduce the risk of additional human-caused wildfires, park officials have prohibited open fires and related activities.

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Alaska’s neighbors to the east are also dealing with a firestorm, that the Canadian government estimates is running more than 400% above normal.

According to the fire situational report produced by Natural Resources Canada, more than 9.5 million acres have been destroyed across the country since the start of the year.

Similar to Alaska, long-term drought conditions are less widespread than in previous years, with fires being driven by a combination of natural and human factors.

The U.S. National Park Service notes that Alaska’s wildfire season typically begins in May and ends in late July, while in Canada, wildfire activity can last into the early fall.

The American Red Cross is staffing a shelter at a high school in Fairbanks for people displaced by the wildfire activity in Alaska.