WILLOW -- It's too soon to go home, officials commanding the Sockeye wildfire response warned a somber crowd of 275 people at a community meeting at Houston Middle School on Wednesday.
The Sockeye fire, holding at about 12 square miles, didn't grow at all Wednesday and officials expressed cautious optimism for future containment.
But even though 800 displaced residents are eager to get home, officials didn't let up on a voluntary evacuation zone that covers about 15 miles along the Parks Highway -- at least not yet.
Commanders at Wednesday night's community meeting said people who go home now run the risk of hurting themselves and getting in the way of 620 firefighters battling the blaze by Thursday.
"Please don't go in there. It's unsafe for you. It's unsafe for the firefighters," Casey Cook, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's emergency manager, told the large but polite crowd. "I know we can't make you guys not go in there. … please respect those and stay out of the area."
Fire officers hope to shrink the evacuation zone as early as tomorrow but at least within 48 hours, incident commander Tom Kurth said. Parks Highway restrictions will shift "shortly" to a 7-mile section from Mile 70 to Mile 77 instead of Mile 66 to 88, where it is restricted now, Kurth said.
The fire has destroyed an estimated 50 to 100 structures and displaced hundreds of sled dogs belonging to mushers drawn to Willow's open space and trails.
Residents Wednesday night asked about mail service, how to get rid of garbage without burning it, and banning fireworks.
Fireworks are rumored to be the cause of the fire. Kurth told the crowd that remains under investigation but "we're certainly focused on that very thing."
By Wednesday, a number of evacuees bucked the evacuation advisory to get home and make sure their houses survived, check for missing pets or remove belongings before leaving again.
A homeowner who defied the evacuation blocked fire crews from crossing his property to access another Wednesday afternoon, so crews took a longer route around him to avoid a confrontation, according to Alaska State Troopers Capt. Hans Brinke, highway patrol commander.
Gary Johnston, a 59-year-old aircraft mechanic, saw utter disaster when he defied the advisory to get a glimpse of his home off West Sharen Drive.
The two-story home he helped build in 1960 was a crumpled mess. The family's cat was gone. Also lost were six snowmachines and a trailer, two 4-wheelers and even his wife's wedding ring, accidentally left behind in the frenzy to evacuate.
It took going home to find that out, Johnson said during the meeting's question-and-answer session.
"A lot of these people don't know their homes are gone," he said.
Officials say they're working to notify evacuees about the fate of their homes and properties.
Cook stood outside the school after the meeting ended, collecting phone numbers for a contact list. The borough just finished a damage assessment for structures lost but Cook said he still needed to process the information so he can get it out to landowners as soon as possible. People seeking information about the status of their homes can call 907-861-8500.
Many residents said they'll wait until they get the OK from the firefighters who worked so hard to save their homes.
"There are still fire crews working in the area and I don't want to be in their way," said musher Lev Shvarts. His home survived "strictly thanks to fire crews," he wrote in a message. "It's about $100k worth of building that had no insurance. It's a miracle."
The fire started Sunday with a sun-choking plume of brown smoke lit by flames. By Wednesday, people within the fire zone saw mostly smoldering hot spots and a single smoke column near the Susitna River.
"People think it's out," said Josh Leutzinger, crew supervisor for Palmer's Gannett Glacier fire crew, which was working the northern end of the fire Wednesday.
But it's not, Leutzinger said. "Hot and dry conditions with no end in sight. There's not really room to be comfortable yet."
Crews stationed around the fire's perimeter worked to reduce future flare-ups by building fuel lines with bulldozers, dropped dead snags to protect firefighters and sprayed down hot spots. They burned a line around the perimeter as a fuel-free barrier.
Several members of the incident command team briefed the crowd at the community meeting. Weather: cooling slightly into the mid-70s by the weekend but no significant rain. Fire behavior: calm now but with the potential to flare up into pockets of dry spruce and travel to heavily populated parts of Willow and beyond. Fire operations: everywhere.
The fire is technically "zero" contained, officials say, but that's partly because thick duff holds fire and crews want to make sure those hotspots are out.
"It takes a vigilant approach to make sure the job's done right," said operations section chief Russ Long.
A red flag warning for hot, dry conditions remains in effect. There are more thunderstorms in the forecast.
The fire has only burned about 60 percent of the total area, Kurth said. There are green patches and homes standing, Kurth said.
"But keeping in mind that this incident still has potential and many of you went through the Miller's Reach Fire and know what the potential is overall if we let this fire get up and run," he said.
Thunderstorms that rolled through the surrounding Susitna Valley on Tuesday evening added new lightning-sparked fires to the region.
Two lightning-started fires around Healy Lake that merged late Tuesday were estimated at around 2,500 acres Wednesday evening and growing. Smoke jumpers were working to protect structures, mostly recreational cabins around the lake, according to public information officer Sam Harrel at the Alaska Fire Service.
Two Montana Creek fires were under control by Wednesday afternoon.
Several crews also battled yet another blaze in the area of Dot Lake in the Alaska Interior to prevent its spread to the community between Delta Junction and Tok and to the Alaska Highway, he said.
Harrel said 16 new fires had been reported Tuesday and six additional fires Wednesday.