McHugh wildfire is shrinking and so is its threat, says fire official

Firefighters were extending barriers around the McHugh fire Saturday as the week-long efforts to contain the likely human-caused blaze continue.

Seven Hotshot crews with a total of more than 140 firefighters are climbing rugged terrain and expanding and strengthening break lines, gaps between the edge of the fire and untouched vegetation, closest to two neighborhoods along the Seward Highway, said Alaska Division of Forestry public information officer Sam Harrel.

Major progress has been made near Potter Valley on the Anchorage Hillside, said Celeste Prescott, lead public information officer for the fire. Crews hauled a pump and water tank to that edge of the fire and are using the water from McHugh Creek to douse trees and soil, she said.

Efforts to suppress the fire from the air continued Saturday, with three helicopters dropping 125- to 340-gallon buckets of water in areas difficult to reach on foot, Prescott said.

[Photos: Firefighters work to contain McHugh fire on Thursday]

Homeowners in the neighborhoods of Potter Valley and the Rainbow subdivision can be certain the threat from the fire has significantly decreased, said incident commander Tom Kurth during a Saturday morning press conference.

"Residents can rest easy regarding the further spread of the fire," Kurth said, adding later that the blaze was shrinking.

Firefighters on the ground were walking the perimeter of the fire, providing GPS coordinates for a more accurate read on its size than was previously provided by aerial surveillance, Kurth said.

The McHugh fire was estimated at 778 acres as of 6 p.m. Saturday, Prescott said.

The fire is 14 percent contained, Kurth said. The break lines likely will not extend around the entirety of the fire, as rocky inclines with little vegetation in the area have served as natural barriers. The percentage of contained fire is expected to increase by late Saturday evening, Prescott said.

A half-inch of rain Friday drenched much of the area scorched by the fire. Officials plan to use the lulls in rainfall to focus on containment.

Following Friday's rain, the area would need a week of drying to get the fire growing again, according to fire analysts with the Alaska Incident Management Team.

[Read more: Days of rain, weaker winds are helping crews fighting the McHugh Creek wildfire]

The National Weather Service in Anchorage says rain is a sure thing Sunday, with showers becoming steadier after 2 p.m. Winds have also calmed down, traveling west and southwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour.

A dry, hot weather pattern like the one that contributed to the McHugh fire's spread is not likely to occur again until early or mid-August, Kurth said.

The air quality advisory for Anchorage and Eagle River has been lifted. There will still be smoke from the fire in "varying intensity" depending on how close people are to the area and weather conditions, according to DOF. Warm weather caused the smoke to pick up as well, Prescott said.

The top danger connected with the fire is the Seward Highway, Kurth said. Officials continue to urge drivers to obey the 35 mph speed limit posted throughout the McHugh fire area. Rocks and other debris freed by the fire aren't falling onto the road and causing many issues, they noted.

Related: Photos from the McHugh Creek wildfire