Troy L. Milliron 
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A large fire burning in the tundra of southwest Alaska continued to move toward an Alaska Native village on Saturday, but fire officials said its pace had slowed.
The East Fork Fire, which was started by lightning on May 31, remained about 8 miles from the Yup’ik village of St. Mary’s, according to a statement from Alaska Wildland Fire Information.
The blaze has been listed at 169 square miles (438 square kilometers), more than double the last estimate. The increase was attributed to better mapping.
The tundra is a treeless area covered in low grass, and the fire was fueled by extremely dry grass and brush filled with alders and willows.
There were 180 people working on the fire, with more crews expected to arrive on Monday.
There is no mandatory evacuation order, but about 700 residents of St. Mary’s and the nearby community of Pitkas Point have been told to prepare in case they need to leave.
There were voluntary evacuations of residents, as well as others living in the nearby communities of Mountain Village and Pilot Station.
Early Saturday morning, firefighters carried out a defensive burnout on the west side of the East Fork of the Andreafsky River to protect equipment and structures near a fish weir – a fence placed in running water to direct movement fishes. Weirs have traditionally been used to catch fish, but can also be used for managing and researching a fish stock, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.
St. Mary’s, a subsistence community, is located on the bank of the river. Firefighters were also working to protect structures on the east side of the spillway, as well as fortifying a fire line half a mile (800 meters) outside St. Mary’s. Aircraft also dropped retarders along this line.
Boats were used to transport firefighters to protect structures upstream from St. Mary’s. Crews also worked to protect Alaska Native properties.
Hot and dry conditions were expected to continue on Sunday, but a low pressure system moving in from the west could bring favorable conditions and a chance of showers by Monday. It could also bring a wind switch that would help keep the fire away from villages, officials said in the statement.
St. Mary’s and Pitkas Point, which are located south at the confluence of the Andreafsky and Yukon rivers, are located about 450 miles (724 kilometers) west of Anchorage.
