The Riley Fire was at 10% containment Tuesday morning as power remained out in Glitter Gulch and thousands of park visitors made other plans.
Updated: 16 seconds agoA helicopter drops water from a bucket over an active region of the Riley Fire on July 1, 2024. Tuesday for the second day as firefighters made progress on containing a wildfire that’s prompted emergency closures and evacuations.
The fire comes during the park’s busiest time of year, when up to 5,000 people flock to the area daily to sightsee, camp and recreate.from Golden Valley Electric Association. “The Riley Fire’s incident management team has reported that they continue to see heat signatures beneath the power line and in the immediate area, and have requested the line remain off until 9 pm this evening for the safety of the crews working in the area.
Park rangers were stationed at the entrance on Monday and Tuesday to turn around vehicles, Park Service spokesman Paul Ollig said. Power outages made it challenging to spread word about the park’s closure, but rangers were also stopping by businesses and hotels in Glitter Gulch to provide updates, he said.People who had reservations at campgrounds or in the backcountry who were already in the park when the fire began were permitted to stay, officials said.
The Alaska Railroad for the second day canceled rail service to the park. The northbound Denali Star Train was providing service from Anchorage to Talkeetna, railroad officials. The railroad was providing buses for passengers traveling north between Talkeetna and Fairbanks or south between Fairbanks and Anchorage.
Smoke from a fire burning about 1 mile north of the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve is seen Sunday, June 30, 2024, from along the Parks Highway. dashed the dreams of thousands of travelers who planned to visit over the holiday. The cabins Rinck and her husband own were also booked completely full as the fire cut power to nearby areas, she said. But on Tuesday, tourists arriving in Alaska were beginning to call to cancel their plans because of the uncertainty about when the park might reopen, she said.
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