A fire was seen burning north of the village of Aniak on Thursday. Residents in Bethel reported seeing pink clouds in the direction of the village and smelling smoke on the wind.
Aniak resident Sam Peterson saw the fire early this morning on his way home from Crooked Creek.
“I seen a fire at the base of the Russian mountains, near the Ohat. I could see flames from the river so it must be kind of big. Dry lightning going on all around me on my way up Crooked, lost count of how many strikes there was," Peterson said.
State Troopers in Aniak said they were aware of the fire but were not actively fighting it. Troopers directed KYUK to the Department of Natural Resources who did not respond in time for this story.
It is not confirmed if the fire is still burning at this time.