Alaska News

Willow fire evacuees return home as wind shift poses new threat

WILLOW -- Even as people living on the perimeter of the destructive wildfire in the Willow area got the official OK to return home Friday, crews braced for the first wind shift since the fire started Sunday.

The Sockeye wildfire in the Susitna Valley has destroyed 26 homes, burned across 132 properties and displaced 800 people in the town of about 2,100 that once harbored dreams of being Alaska's capital.

Strong north winds drove the fire south after it began Sunday north of Willow. It swelled to burn across more than 6,500 acres by that night. Then the fire calmed as winds mellowed and hundreds of firefighters fanned out across the hot zone. As of Friday afternoon, the fire was holding steady at about 7,066 acres.

But the wind made a 180-degree shift Friday morning and began gusting from the south. That could reignite flames near a fire break around Mile 77 of the Parks Highway, where the fire began.

The Sockeye fire is 5 percent contained where crews labored to clear brush and trees on its northern perimeter just south of West Sheep Creek Drive, fire commanders say. Additional areas along Kashwitna Lake are also considered contained.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, winds were kicking up and fire managers were closely monitoring a subdivision along Sheep Creek Drive closest to the fire front. The forecast called for 10 to 15 mph south winds, gusting to 20 mph.

Residents reported heavy smoke north of the fire around Mile 80.

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It was hard to tell what the evening held because the fire was "just getting into the burn window" by late afternoon, public information officer Dave Boyd said. Fuels like brush and trees were drying out after the day's hot sun.

By around 8:30 p.m. Friday, the wind shift had increased burning, but it remained inside the fire perimeter. The shift also brought cooler, moister air, Boyd said.

"Where it's burning hasn't been a problem," he said. "Our firefighters are working hard and we're making good progress."

Locals were taking advantage of a smaller evacuation area that went into effect Friday to return home, and fuel delivery trucks and dump trucks rumbled down roads blocked since Sunday. Residents below Willow-Fishhook Road south of the fire and above West Sheep Creek Drive on the north were allowed to return. People who lost homes inside the perimeter were allowed back between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Friday.

Despite the changing winds, the team running the fire remained confident in the reduced evacuation area and planned to open the entire fire zone Saturday unless the fire's behavior changed.

An area of controlled traffic on the Parks Highway, the main state artery between Fairbanks and Anchorage that cuts through Willow, was decreased to a 7-mile section between Willow-Fishhook Road and West Sheep Creek Drive. Previously, traffic was stopped for escort at each end of a 22-mile corridor.

Members of the Coughlin family were relieved to be home on West Tuxedo Avenue, between Willow-Fishhook Road and the Willow Trading Post. The family evacuated with four children and more than 50 animals Sunday as ash fell and flames lit the smoke behind their house.

The family runs Susitna Valley River Guides, but canceled trips for the weekend, Mike Coughlin said Friday morning.

"I'm just afraid it's not under control enough to have clients out there," he said.

Fighting the fire has so far cost $1.6 million, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center. About 600 firefighters are working to contain it. Staffing on the fire includes 24 crews, seven helicopters, three engines, a bulldozer and a water tender, according to an incident summary.

The Red Cross on Friday opened an assistance center at Wasilla's Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. Fire victims can pick up shovels, buckets, gloves, trash bags, dust masks and toiletries there. Trained Red Cross workers will also meet one-on-one with families to identify resources available to them and help with their recovery.

The state is offering disaster assistance as well for people with damaged homes and transportation losses from the fire. Hotline and online registration will start Monday. The hotline is 855-445-7319.

Meanwhile, the Willow Fire Department battled a house fire in Talkeetna until 4 a.m. Friday, according to Fire Chief Mahlon Greene.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

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