Wildfire closes Denali National Park for 2nd day as firefighters make progress

Denali National Park was closed to visitors Tuesday for the second day as firefighters made progress on containing a wildfire that’s prompted emergency closures and evacuations.

The Riley Fire was estimated to be 388 acres as of Tuesday morning and had reached 10% containment on the southern perimeter closest to the park entrance, said Beth Ipsen, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service.

National Park Service officials said it still wasn’t clear when the park would reopen.

The fire’s rapid growth on Sunday triggered evacuations from employee housing and campgrounds, canceled passenger train services and shut off power to what’s known locally as Glitter Gulch, a commercial strip in the Nenana Canyon where tourists visit shops, restaurants and lodging.

The fire comes during the park’s busiest time of year, when up to 5,000 people flock to the area daily to sightsee, camp and recreate.

Power remained out on Tuesday to the Glitter Gulch area, according to an update from Golden Valley Electric Association. “The Riley Fire’s incident management team has reported that they continue to see heat signatures beneath the power line and in the immediate area, and have requested the line remain off until 9 pm this evening for the safety of the crews working in the area.”

Park rangers were stationed at the entrance on Monday and Tuesday to turn around vehicles, Park Service spokesman Paul Ollig said. Power outages made it challenging to spread word about the park’s closure, but rangers were also stopping by businesses and hotels in Glitter Gulch to provide updates, he said.

People who had reservations at campgrounds or in the backcountry who were already in the park when the fire began were permitted to stay, officials said.

There were roughly 10 backpackers and 25 campers still in the park on Tuesday, Ollig said. Many of those reservations were scheduled to end Wednesday and Ollig said a shuttle was operational only to return visitors to the park entrance.

About 150 employees who evacuated from housing near the entrance were staying mainly at the school or churches in Healy, Ollig said. The American Red Cross of Alaska took over shelter operations at the school on Tuesday. About 50 people were expected to remain there overnight on Tuesday, spokeswoman Taylar Sausen said.

The Alaska Railroad for the second day canceled rail service to the park. The northbound Denali Star Train was providing service from Anchorage to Talkeetna, railroad officials said. The railroad was providing buses for passengers traveling north between Talkeetna and Fairbanks or south between Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Firefighters on Monday protected the southern edge of the fire and were able to contain it despite an evening wind shift, Ipsen said. The fire had largely burned through most of the black spruce in the area and was now reaching hardwood and brush, which slowed the growth, she said.

As of Tuesday morning, the fire was 10% contained with firefighting efforts benefiting from lower temperatures and high cloud cover expected to last through the day, Ipsen said. Additional crews arrived to assist and helicopters and planes have been making multiple water drops on the fire, she said.

The fire has been extremely disruptive, Ipsen said. The park closure dashed the dreams of thousands of travelers who planned to visit over the holiday.

With power out throughout Glitter Gulch, a rush of visitors had been frequenting other businesses along the Parks Highway, said Jessica Rinck, who owns Panorama Pizza Pub about 15 miles south of the park’s entrance. The pizza restaurant still had power.

“We’ve seen a significant uptick in business, for sure,” she said. “There’s nowhere to eat right now, so that’s been crazy.”

The cabins Rinck and her husband own were also booked completely full as the fire cut power to nearby areas, she said. But on Tuesday, tourists arriving in Alaska were beginning to call to cancel their plans because of the uncertainty about when the park might reopen, she said.

Local businesses in Healy, Carlo Creek, McKinley Village and Cantwell were operating as normal, according to the Denali Chamber of Commerce. Local excursions and tours were still operating as well, for the most part.

“If you need help turning your lemon into lemonade while in the area, please reach out to us for assistance,” chamber officials wrote in an update early Tuesday afternoon.

As of Tuesday, park officials were monitoring the situation and waiting for the southern flank of the fire to be contained enough to be deemed safe to allow visitors back in again, Ollig said.