Denali National Park and Preserve remained closed for a sixth straight day Friday as the Riley Fire near the park entrance continued to shut down operations and disrupt schedules for thousands of tourists.
There’s been no determination yet on when the park will reopen, according to an official with the incident response team.
Cooler, wetter weather had moved into the area by Friday, but the fire continued to “creep and smolder” and there was occasional “single-tree torching,” the Denali Borough reported Friday afternoon on social media.
The borough’s update said “the duff layer is thick and the rain received has not saturated the layer deep enough to deter” the smoldering heat.
“Fire crews today are focused on expanding control lines and fortifying critical sections of the fire perimeter while monitoring fire activity as winds are expected to increase Friday and into Saturday,” the borough update said.
The rain also complicated conditions for firefighters on steep terrain, said Al Nash, a spokesman with the incident response team.
Train travelers to the park also continue to experience disruptions. The Alaska Railroad said in a statement that at least through Saturday, train riders will be moved onto buses for transport through the Denali National Park area.
But power was restored on a full-time basis starting Thursday at the park and the nearby Glitter Gulch tourist area that’s home to hotels, restaurants and shops, after it was shut down earlier in the week, Nash said.
“Our ongoing goal, while providing for safety, is to facilitate a return to normal conditions for residents and visitors,” Nash said.
Many businesses are opening in Glitter Gulch, also known as the Nenana River Canyon, now that electricity has been restored.
Chris Noel, mayor of the Denali Borough, said Friday that some hotels on Friday were just beginning to accepts guests again. Overall, hotels could return to 90% of their normal occupancy this weekend, he said.
He said hotels should remain alert to the possible need for evacuation of their guests in case the fire unexpectedly takes a turn for the worse.
“Our message to hoteliers has been we understand they want to get back to normal, and we want that and we want the park to open, but we want to do that in a safe manner, protecting the safety of firefighters and the public,” he said.
Becki Klauss, owner of The Black Bear in Glitter Gulch, said business was back to normal Friday at the coffeehouse, bakery and restaurant.
But the town is still recovering, she said.
Klauss said it’s been a “precarious few days” unlike any she’s seen in the area.
Most businesses were shut down for the week. Tourists milled about with little to do. People were grateful to buy even leftover cold coffee and pastries, since there weren’t other options, she said.
Many tourists left the area for nearby communities such as Healy where power wasn’t shut off, she said.
“The Fourth of July weekend is our busiest week of the entire year, and this is the time we all build up to,” she said. “And instead of rallying hard, we had to shut down. So there’s lost business, lost wages, but there’s an exceptional sense of gratitude and community.”
With the power out for several days, she and her crew prepared and delivered a few hundred meals to firefighters, she said. The fire crews hadn’t been able to shower and were eating military-style MREs, or meals ready-to-eat, she said.
“It was really cool to connect with them and just relay how grateful we are for them,” she said.
Other residents and businesses from the area also pitched in to help get food to the fire crews, she said. Some businesses and even tourists also gave her money to cover the costs of the donated food, she said.
“It’s been a unifying time for people even with all the tragedy that it has been,” Klauss said.
Vanessa Jusczak, president of the Denali Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber is letting people know that tourist activities outside the park are in full swing.
People can go on other hikes outside the park, and participate in other activities such as ATV or horseback rides, dog-kennel visits, whitewater rafting, sportfishing or ziplining. Flightseeing trips, including those focused on viewing Denali — the mountain — far from the fire, are also still operating, she said.
“We’re trying to get out there that while park is closed, the rest of Denali is open to business,” she said.
The fire on Friday was 388 acres, according to a wildfire update on the park’s website. That was the same acreage on Thursday, reflecting the equivalent of about 300 football fields.
Fire crews are making inroads against stopping the fire, Nash said.
“We’ve got some very hard-working firefighters on the ground that are making progress on constructing and reinforcing the fire line,” he said.
The Riley Fire began on Sunday, prompting park officials to close access to the park starting that afternoon.
The shutdown came during the Fourth of July week, when 4,000 tourists or more visit the park that’s home to North America’s tallest mountain.
The fire on Friday was only 5% contained, according to a statement Thursday from agencies involved in the response.
The fire had previously been reported as 25% contained, but that was based on a miscommunication that changed after further review of the fire, according to the agencies.
“Denali National Park and Preserve remains closed as long as the southern edge of the fire is unsecured,” agencies involved in the response said Friday. “Although rain has a moderating effect on the fire, gusty winds can fan flames and increase fire behavior, as fuels remain dry despite the recent rainfall.”
A temporary flight restriction is in effect over the Riley Fire until July 15, the Denali Borough said in its update.
“The Parks Highway remains open and unthreatened,” the borough said. “A team from the Red Cross and the Salvation Army continue to maintain the Tri-Valley School in Healy as an evacuation location for anyone needing shelter and support.”
The Tanana Chiefs and the Alta Interagency Hotshot Crew are working the southern edge of the fire, westward from the railroad, the incident response team said.
The Smith River, Golden Eagle, and Mill Creek interagency hotshot crews are building a protective line through thick alder and birch, the team said.
“This saw work is slow and hazardous on the steep, slippery slopes,” the incident response team said. “Smoke jumpers are assessing opportunities for indirect line in the northern bowl.”
Nash said the steep terrain was made extra difficult after rain on Thursday afternoon led to muddy conditions.
“We did call firefighters off the line for a period of time yesterday because of safety concerns,” Nash said.
The park explained the plan of attack to stop the fire in a social media post on Friday.
More than 170 personnel were fighting the fire Friday, along with three helicopters, Nash said.
No one has been hurt, he said.
More rain is likely for Friday and into the weekend after a small amount of rain fell Thursday, the incident response team said. Lower temperatures with highs near 60 degrees Fahrenheit are expected with high humidity through Sunday, which should help moderate smoke, leading to improved air quality around the park, the team said.
“Winds will continue to be from the southwest, pushing smoke northeast,” the team said.
The Alaska Railroad said that its Denali Star Train route on Friday and Saturday would operate a “slightly modified” route that continued to include bus transport.
The train ride normally stops at Denali National Park as it makes the 12-hour journey between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
As of Thursday evening, there were 165 active wildfires statewide, with six new fires in the past 24 hours, firefighting agencies said in a statement. So far, 323 fires have burned 538,273 acres across Alaska.
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