Fast-growing wildfire near McGrath expected to merge with smaller fire Monday

A remote wildfire burning northeast of McGrath that grew rapidly overnight is now threatening to merge with another wildfire in the area.

The Medfra fire grew from 500 acres Sunday evening to an estimated 1,650 acres by Monday morning, according to the state Division of Forestry.  

The fire is burning through mostly black spruce along the north bank of the North Fork Kuskokwim River, about 50 miles northeast of McGrath.

It threatens a few scattered cabins and allotments of Native corporation land, which firefighters devote resources to protecting, said Division of Forestry information officer Sarah Saarloos.

The Medfra fire was first reported Sunday morning. Fire officials say it is likely a "holdover fire" from the 16,500-acre Soda Creek fire of last summer. It originated in the old burn area and spread into an area with fresh fuel.

On Sunday, firefighters used helicopters and air tankers to drop water and flame retardant on the fire but the blaze continued to grow, driven by gusty winds and warm temperatures.

The fire may merge Monday with the Berry Creek Fire, which is burning 4 to 5 miles to the north. It also originated in an old burned area. The Berry Creek fire was about 320 acres in size on Sunday night but officials expected the active fire, also burning in black spruce, to at least double in size Monday.

Firefighters, including smokejumpers from the Bureau of Land Management's Alaska Fire Service, were working on the fires Monday, Saarloos said. Crews from Southwest Alaska villages are in McGrath, ready to join the fire suppression effort.