Rain helps slow Interior Alaska wildfire that prompted evacuations

By Associated Press

Updated: July 12, 2022 Published: July 12, 2022

A firefighter stands watch on the Clear Fire while crews conduct burnout operations to protect a structure in July 2022. (Photo by Cody Platz / Northwest Incident Management Team 10)

Some rain helped firefighters battling an Interior Alaska wildfire that prompted evacuations.

About a half inch fell into early Monday, allowing crews to build more fire breaks to help control the Clear Fire, which was started by lightning June 21.

“It’s not really like a season-ending type of rain, it’s more like a slowing,” said a spokesperson for the fire, Mark Enty.

The fire has been burning near the community of Anderson. Evacuation orders were in place for all properties accessed by roads, trails or driveways on the west side of the Parks Highway from mileposts 269 to 275.

The city of Anderson, located about 80 miles southwest of Fairbanks, is not under an evacuation order.

At least one home has been confirmed to have been lost, and Enty said Denali Borough officials will make an official assessment of other structures.

The fire is estimated to be 110 square miles.