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Stoked by high winds and hot weather, a wildfire reached the airstrip at the Interior village of Tetlin on Saturday, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry.
The Tetlin River fire burned across 700 acres as aircraft and ground crews fought to keep it from spreading north through a landscape of black spruce to the village, about 20 miles south of Tok.
"High winds are predicted today, coming from the southwest and pushing the fire toward the village," said division spokesman Tim Mowry.
No evacuations have been ordered for the village, but officials told residents they should be prepared to leave at any time, according to the Division of Forestry. The fire had not disrupted traffic on the Alaska Highway or caused any reported property damage as of Saturday afternoon.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
The fire was discovered around 2:30 p.m. Friday. Mowry said the fire initially grew quickly — from about 30 acres at 5:30 p.m. on Friday to 300 acres an hour later.
About 175 fire responders were expected to be on the fire by the end of Saturday, he said.
Tegan Hanlon contributed to this story.