Firefighters confident as warmer weather increases activity on wildfire outside of Fairbanks

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - After a period of cooler weather, temperatures have risen again in the interior, causing the Munson Creek Fire outside of Fairbanks to grow more active. The fire, burning at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road is currently estimated at nearly 37,000 acres.

Tim Mowry, the public information officer for the Alaska Division of Forestry said that the nearly 200 firefighters assigned to the Munson Creek Fire took advantage of the break in weather continue to protect structures near the edge of the blaze.

The fire has grown more active over the last couple of days, and helicopters are being used to slow its spread toward Chena Hot Springs Road. Mowry says they aren’t trying to contain the fire, instead focusing on protecting structures while allowing the fire to burn its natural course.

According to Mowry, crews are confident that they will be able to protect any structures, in part due to a hand line they constructed. “They have completed sort of a hand line from the airstrip at Chena Hot Springs Road west a couple miles to really seal off the resort and some of those homes and cabins on the Hot Springs Road from that fire coming down.”

We will continue to update this story as the fire progresses.

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