Photos: Stuart Creek 2 fire spreads quickly near Fairbanks

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A wildfire begun by Army live-fire artillery training had by July 7 grown to more than 40,000 acres in size, displacing some 1,200 Interior Alaskans living north of Fairbanks along the Chena Hot Springs Road and in nearby communities of Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley.

Some 1,200 people fled their homes and businesses northeast of Fairbanks along Chena Hot Springs Road Sunday afternoon as flames from the Stuart Creek 2 fire, first ignited by military artillery, spread rapidly.

The fire prompted the state to shut down the entire Chena River Recreation Area Sunday evening.

Read more: Two Rivers, Pleasant Valley residents (and their animals) evacuate