The Matanuska-Susitna Borough announced Thursday the first definitive count of houses destroyed in Willow's Sockeye wildfire since the blaze erupted Sunday.
Twenty-six homes have been lost in the Sockeye fire. A borough damage assessment found 132 properties that were involved in the fire, borough public affairs director Patty Sullivan said in an email. It wasn't clear if all 132 held structures.
Those who had homes burned in the fire can return to their property between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. The announcement came a day after fire officers warned residents it was too soon to go home.
Nine security checkpoints will also be added and temporary flight restrictions will be reduced on Friday. General aviation traffic will be allowed into Long Lake, Willow Lake and the Willow Airport.
Traffic restrictions on the Parks Highway will shift slightly to a 7-mile section from Mile 78 to 71, instead of Mile 66 to 88, where it is restricted now.
Unless conditions change, the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center said, evacuation orders will be lifted by Saturday.
"Residents will be allowed to return to their homes," the center said in a statement.
On Thursday, the estimated size of the Sockeye fire was reduced to roughly 7,066 acres, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough said on its Facebook page. The reduction was due to more accurate mapping, the borough said, and was seen primarily in the Willow Creek drainage area.
Roughly 800 residents were displaced by the fire, officials have estimated.
Though smoke was drastically reduced from the early days of the wildfire Sunday and Monday, active fire remains inside the perimeter, commanders say. The fire's static state could change quickly given the ongoing hot, dry conditions. Managers say firefighting efforts could continue for days.
As firefighters continue to work, the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center asked people traveling in the area to use extreme caution and drive slowly with their headlights on.
By Monday, it said, all security checkpoints and traffic control points will be removed, but Alaska State Troopers will continue patrols.
A red flag warning remained in effect Thursday, and a burn ban remained in place indefinitely.
Crews continued to reduce ignition sources along the Sockeye fire's perimeter on Thursday and in subdivisions within its interior. They wielded hand tools and used hoses, as well as aircraft and boats, according to a borough update.
The fire was first reported Sunday afternoon and grew to more than 6,500 acres by that evening. The Alaska Division of Forestry is investigating the fire with the Alaska State Fire Marshal's Office. Fire commanders say no cause has been determined but the possible role of fireworks is being examined.
Thursday's official announcement on 26 lost homes signals the start of the recovery process, Alaska Red Cross spokesperson Beth Bennett said.
The Red Cross will work with displaced residents on financial assistance, Bennett said. The borough will coordinate which organizations are taking donations.
The state Division of Insurance also said this week that it had updated its website with a list of resources for people affected by the Sockeye fire or other fires burning across the state. The agency said in a release it was working with insurance companies "to ensure that there are an adequate number of adjusters available to respond in a timely manner."
Those with insurance-related questions can call the Division of Insurance at 907-269-7900 or email them at insurance@alaska.gov.