The McHugh Fire, which began on July 16 and burned roughly 778 acres just south of Anchorage, was caused by an unextinguished campfire, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
“The point of origin of the escaped fire was north of the McHugh Creek parking lot, off the McHugh trail system and deep in a ravine,” DNR wrote Thursday.
The fire was not contained in an established campfire ring and was located in an “area not commonly used by hikers.”
As of Thursday, July 28, the firefighting effort has cost about $3.8 million, according to Kale Casey, Public Information Officer for the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team. Costs will continue to rise as crews remain on scene.
Currently, 141 crew members are busy extinguishing hotspots, mopping up and pulling hoses. That number will decrease significantly in the coming days, said Casey.