Due to reduced wildland fire activity associated with the Lost Horse Creek Fire, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office rescinded the fire closure order that temporarily closed public access to the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area near the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at mile 28 Elliott Highway. The recension will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, August 22, 2023, leaving no remaining public access closures for the White Mountains.
Multiple events involving Kenai Peninsula groups and organizations have experienced the impacts of the wildfires in the interior. Multiple high school sporting events, as well as local group activities outside the Kenai area were either relocated, or rescheduled due to hazardous smoke in the interior.
Recent cooler, wet weather has helped control fire activity, but visitors should remain alert for changes. “If there is another hot and dry period, the fire could come back to life and prompt another temporary area closure,” said Eastern Interior Field Office Manager Tim Hammond. “We ask that visitors continue to exercise safe practices and recreate responsibly on public lands to prevent wildfires.”
Visitors are encouraged to practice these outdoor fire safety principles:
- Make a fire only if you have sufficient water to put it out completely.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
- Keep fires small and manageable.
- Extinguish fires completely using the water, stir, water repeat method. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave. Every campfire should be cold before leaving it.
More information about fire prevention is available at: https://www.blm.gov/
Visitors should stay tuned to fire activity at akfireinfo.com and check for BLM Alaska fire restrictions website for current orders: https://www.blm.gov/
To start planning your visit, download the free digital summer recreation map for the White Mountains.