Date: July 30, 2009 Contact: Fire Information Office , 529-0511 Contact: Morgan Warthin , 644-3418 McCarthy, Alaska a 'Additional personnel were demobilized today as the Chakina Fire response transitioned to a monitoring operation.

Date: July 30, 2009 Contact: Fire Information Office , 529-0511 Contact: Morgan Warthin , 644-3418 McCarthy, Alaska a 'Additional personnel were demobilized today as the Chakina Fire response transitioned to a monitoring operation.

Date: July 28, 2009 Contact: Fire Information Office , 529-0511 Contact: Tina Boehle , 644-3414 McCarthy, Alaska a ' Monday morning engine and hotshot personnel along with the Strelna and McCarthy Volunteer Fire Departments continued structure assessment and fuel reduction activities in the developed areas along the McCarthy road.

Date: July 26, 2009 Contact: Fire Information Office , 907.529.0511 Contact: Tina Boehle , 907.644.3414 McCarthy, Alaskaa ' Fire personnel resumed hand and aerial firing operations yesterday to remove pockets of fuel between the fire perimeter and the south bank of the Chitina River.

Fire activity was low yesterday due to cool, moist weather. The Augusta Hotshot crew patrolled and monitored areas along the Chitina River targeted by Thursday's aerial firing operations.

Date: July 23, 2009 Contact: Fire Information Office , 529-0511 Contact: Tina Boehle , 644-3414 McCarthy, Alaskaa ' Todaya TMs activities for the Pioneer Peak Hotshot crew, three engines, and the Volunteer Fire Departments from Strelna and McCarthy involve identifying water sources, safety zones, and fire hazards for the six residential areas.

Smoke advisories are in effect for travelers driving the Edgerton Highway to McCarthy, due to the Chakina fire within the Wrangell St.

More than 400 wildfires have burned 1.1 million acres in Alaska so far this year, making this one of the 15 worst wildfire seasons in more than half a century.

McCarthy, Alaska- The Chakina Fire grew moderately Monday and is roughly 12,500. It is primarily progressing in a northwest and easterly direction.

The first king salmon of the season were caught by subsistence fishermen in Nenana on Tuesday, which means some kings should be poking their noses into Chena and Salcha soon.

JOHN WAGNER / Fairbanks Daily News-Miner via The Associated Press / Byron Haley, the president-for-life of the Chitina Dipnetters Association, poses with a fishing net outside his Fairbanks home.

Attention dipnetters, once again we are on the short end of the dipnet. Today, by emergency order for the entire 2009 season, no king salmon can be kept as part of your Chitina dipnet bag limit.

BUILDING RUN: Chitina subdistrict will open monday for 156 hours. Anchorage Daily News sports@adn.com Published: May 27th, 2009 10:41 PM Last Modified: May 27th, 2009 10:41 PM Alaskans looking for something more than a single, feisty salmon tugging at the end of their fishing line have an opportunity to stock the freezer next week.

It's still early, but things are looking good for Chitina dip-netters. The first sonar counts of the season for Copper River salmon at Miles Lake were posted on Monday, and more than 3,500 salmon were reported past the sonar.

Federally qualified subsistence users can start dipping their nets in the Chitina subdistrict of the Copper River June 1. The fishery in the Upper Copper River District opens 8 p.m. that day and runs through June 7. Eight other openings are scheduled between June and October.