Twenty-nine homes, along with 34 other structures, have been lost in the fires near Healy since they began last month, borough officials said Tuesday. Officials say that no structures have burned in the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
So far this week, scattered rain and cooler weather have been helping firefighters protect homes and infrastructure from the Interior wildfires. Over 200 fires are burning across the state, but firefighters are concentrating their efforts on the roughly two dozen that are threatening residential areas.
Meanwhile, smoke from the fires is a growing health concern. Air quality levels in Fairbanks dropped into the "unhealthy" range early this week. The city is shrouded in a pale haze that smells like a campfire, and borough officials are urging people to stay inside as much as possible.
Alaska Division of Forestry spokesperson Liv Stecker says she's been asked a lot about whether recent rain will also help clear up the air. She says that unfortunately, that's not the case.
"It kind of creates this blanket, this weight, the increased humidity that traps smoke in lower levels a little bit," she said. "So you have kind of this smoky, humid condition around Fairbanks and beyond where the fires are impacting, which can definitely help slow fire behavior, but it decreases that air quality."
Kaitlin Wilson is a spokesperson for the Fairbanks North Star Borough mayor's office. She says the borough has opened its breathing room at the local public library, where residents can get a break from the smoke during regular business hours.
"As long as we're having these unhealthy smoke levels, unhealthy air quality, we're just urging residents to stay inside, limit prolonged exertion in the smoke," she said.
Rain showers are expected to continue throughout the week, with a chance of thunderstorms. Fire activity is still slowing traffic on parts of the Parks and Elliott Highways, and drivers should expect delays.
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