Denali National Park closed and halted bus service into the park as the result of a wildfire just across the Nenana River from the McKinley Chalet Resort. The fire grew to 300 acres in just two hours.

Tour and transit bus services have been discontinued westbound, according to the park. Public front-country facilities and trails have been closed, including the Denali Visitor Center. Day use visitors currently west of the park entrance area are being shuttled eastward.

The wildfire erupted Sunday afternoon, just across the Nenana River from the McKinley Chalet Resort, just north of the entrance to Denali National Park. Flames and billowing clouds of dense smoke are easily visible from Mile 239 Parks Highway and now from miles away.

The fire is burning in black spruce on steep terrain near the Alaska Railroad tracks. No structures are currently in danger, but firefighting response has been immediate because it is so closed to a populated area. 

BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers “sized up” the fire at about 1:15 p.m. by flying overhead, then deployed to the fire, according to the Alaska Fire Service. Both large and small scoopers and an air tanker are also responding, the fire service said, “to quickly suppress this wildfire burning near a populated area.”

At 2 p.m. a load of 12 smokejumpers were deployed to the fire via airplane and an additional load of 10 smokejumpers are traveling to the fire via ground transport. Four Fire Bosses, which are water-scooping aircraft, are on scene, and two water scoopers and one retardant air tanker are en route.

Also responding were Denali National Park and Preserve, Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department, McKinley Village Volunteer Fire Department and Fairbanks area Forestry and Fire Protection.