The Riley Fire continues to be active near the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve, requiring park officials to keep the park closed Tuesday, July 2. Smokejumpers and fire crews, combined with strong support from aerial resources, have made good progress over the past 24 hours, particularly along the fire’s southern flank and have officially reached 10% containment. Using better imagery data, fire managers now estimate the fire to be at 388 acres.
The perimeter map of the Riley Fire for Tuesday morning, July 2, 2024. NPS Image
Two interagency hotshot crews from the Lower 48, the Mill Creek and Golden Eagles Hotshots, arrived on site and are establishing a plan for joining the firefighting effort this evening. The southern flank will continue to be worked by crews already established on the fire, many of whom are local and Alaska based firefighters.
The U.S. Forest Service Mill Creek Hotshots from California arrived on a jet from the Lower 48 Monday. The cre will head to the Riley Fire on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of Karin Butterfield, BLM AFS
Park tour and transit bus service will remain suspended on Tuesday, July 2. All visitor facilities and park trails remain closed, and the park remains closed to private vehicles and day use visitors. There is as of yet no anticipated date when these facilities will open or operations will resume. Campgrounds and backcountry units west of park headquarters remain open to visitors with existing reservations who are already at their campsites, but no additional campers are being allowed to enter the park.
Stay informed about Alaska’s current wildfires, red flag warnings, and more by visiting https://akfireinfo.com.