by the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
The Oskawalik Fire (#122), burning in black spruce and tundra roughly ten miles south of Crooked Creek, remains at 1,779 acres and is now 30% contained. Firefighters continue operating under a full suppression strategy, with 85 personnel assigned to the incident.
Crews made a key breakthrough earlier this week when the Chena Hotshots and Gannett Glacier crew, working from the north, successfully tied in with the Southwest suppression modules and smokejumpers holding the southern edge. This connection completed a continuous control line around the entire perimeter an important milestone in wildland firefighting.
While the fire is now fully “wrapped,” it isn’t fully contained. Containment refers to how much of that line has been tested and proven to hold under fire conditions. So far, about 30% of the perimeter has reached that standard.
With the edge now lined, firefighters have shifted their focus to the area inside it a slow and meticulous phase known as gridding. Crews move through the interior in a methodical pattern, using their hands, eyes, ears, and even their noses to detect heat still lingering below the surface.
Gridding may not be fast or flashy, but it’s essential. It ensures the fire is truly out not just on the surface, but underground too helping lock in containment and reduce the risk of rekindling or escape.
For more on the definition of containment in wildland fire management, see: https://www.nwfirescience.org/news/controlled-vs-contained
This was released on June 21, 2025.
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