ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A wildfire burning near the entrance of Denali National Park and Preserve forced the temporary closure Monday of one of Alaska’s most popular tourist destinations.
Trails were also closed Sunday, as were campgrounds for both existing and new reservations, the park service said in a statement. About 150 National Park Service employees housed in a facility near the fire were evacuated, park spokesperson Paul Ollig said in an email. An evacuation center was set up in the nearby town of Healy.
The fire burning in black spruce was reported Sunday about 1 mile north of the entrance to the national park, home to Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent. The wildfire was estimated to be about half of a square mile in size.Evacuation orders lifted for some Arizona residents forced from their homes days ago by a wildfireThe fire is burning on the west side of the Nenana River, which separates the fire from the national park.