Alaska News

Crews working to contain 25-acre Sheep Creek wildfire

Crews are working to contain a 25-acre wildfire burning in the Talkeetna area, the Alaska Division of Forestry said Sunday.

The Sheep Creek fire is burning in forested land just around Mile 90 of the Parks Highway, but the highway and nearby railroad aren't currently threatened, said Norm McDonald, the Division of Forestry's Mat-Su area fire management officer.

No structures have been destroyed and there are no current evacuation orders for residents in the area.

"The nearest structure is about 1,000 feet away from the fire," he said.

Crews have a perimeter around the blaze and "without major events" should be able to contain it by tonight, he said.

Conditions in the area are dry with gusty winds. People need to take "extreme caution" with burning and campfires in the area.

"It's drier than people recognize," he said.

Michelle Theriault Boots

Michelle Theriault Boots is a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Before joining the ADN in 2012, she worked at daily newspapers up and down the West Coast and earned a master's degree from the University of Oregon.

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