Please Slow Down When Going By Nelchina Fire At Eureka On The Glenn

 

Nelchina Glacier fire (#226) 06/25/2025 looking south from the Glenn Highway. Photo credit to Josh Stark, resident of Eureka, AK.

Retardant aircraft help mitigate fire growth to the northeast on Nelchina Glacier Fire   

BY ALASKA DIVISION OF FORESTRY & FIRE PROTECTION on JUNE 26, 2025

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The 3,288-acre Nelchina Glacier Fire (#226) showed little growth over the past 24 hours due in part to the extensive use of retardant dropping aircraft and water dropping helicopters and cooler weather over the fire area. Retardant aircraft from Palmer delivered 18,826 gallons of retardant to the fire perimeter as they helped keep the fire from spreading to the north across the Eureka Creek drainage. Yesterday, air tankers were also successful in securing a retardant line across the head of the fire to the southeast to the Nelchina River corridor and its associated sloughs Today, aviation will continue to look for areas of opportunity to slow the spread of the fire and increase protection objectives on the ground. With recent revisions, the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) continues to be active for all aircraft not assigned to the fire. For more information and specifics on the revised current TFR in place please visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/. 

Working with masticators, crews will seek to improve and enhance the structure protection and fuel reduction that has been successfully put in place around the structures south of the Glenn Highway between mile markers 129 and 132. Today, the masticator will move south of their completed fuel break and continue to remove additional fuel on state lands between mile markers 128-129. Once the mastication line is complete, firefighters will begin to install pumps and additional hose lays on the line. 

As we approach the weekend, the public using the Glenn Highway is encouraged to slow down around the fire area. Firefighters will continue to be highly visible along the roadway as they secure the contingency lines and make improvements to existing suppression lines. Traffic in the area continues to be a major hazard for firefighters on the ground. For the safety of our firefighters, we ask the public traveling in the area between 126 and 134 to slow down and give our firefighters space to safely work. 

A community meeting for the communities affected by the Nelchina Glacier River will be held at the Mendeltna Community Chapel in Nelchina at 6:00 pm, On Tuesday, July 01. The public is encouraged to attend the open house and will have the opportunity to speak with fire managers assigned to the incident.