A trucker captured footage of a wildfire burning near Tok, Alaska, as the area was being evacuated.
The video, shared on social media, shows what it looks like when a fire reaches the places where people travel, work, and live.
Here's what to know
The trucker recorded the video (which contains profanity) while saying the town was being evacuated and that he was stuck on the road awaiting further direction.
In the clip, the man says, "So this is happening down in Tok right now. There's a giant wildfire … pretty much evacuating the town." The trucker added that the wildfire was "like a half mile off the road, if that."
(The following video contains profanity.)
@angry.pickle5 massive Wildfire causing the town to be evacuated one side is burning you can see the fire literally from the road it's like a half mile from it. #fyp #wildfire #alaska #work #trucking ♬ original sound - Angry Pickle
The video captures smoke billowing unsettlingly close by.
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One commenter asked, "I've been monitoring it — is everyone safe?"
The original poster replied, writing, "Yeah, everyone's safe for the most part. [A] few houses were lost. A couple of the guys that I know lost everything."
According to Alaska Public Media, the Mukluk fire damaged at least 20 structures.
More background
Large fires can fill communities with unhealthy smoke, force families from their homes, damage houses and businesses, and take out key infrastructure, like roads.
In a place such as Tok, a fire near the highway can affect far more than a single neighborhood.
For truckers and other workers, it can mean delays, detours, lost income, and dangerous travel conditions. For residents, evacuations can bring immediate concerns around housing, medications, pets, and how long it may take to return home.
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