UPDATE: Fire southeast of Tok grows to 19 square miles

A wildfire burning in remote eastern Alaska has grown to nearly 19 square miles.

Hot, dry and windy weather helped expand the fire burning 38 miles southeast of Tok and 14 miles southwest of Northway.

The fire began Monday and by Tuesday was estimated at 7.3 square miles. It's burning through an area where black spruce is the main fuel.

A helicopter Wednesday shuttled crews to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cabin 6 miles southeast of the fire and two Native allotments.

Crews planned to cut saw lines and set up hoses, pumps and sprinklers to be used if the fire approached.

Warm, dry weather is expected through the weekend.

A wildfire burning in remote eastern Alaska has grown significantly and firefighters are taking steps to protect cabins and private property.

The state Division of Forestry says the fire southeast of Tok started Monday and quickly covered 1 square mile.

By Tuesday, the fire had expanded and covered 7.3 square miles. Most of the fire's growth was on the southeast edge.

Forestry officials initially tried to fully suppress the fire. Their strategy changed Tuesday to protect cabins.

The fire is burning 38 miles southeast of Tok on the Alaska Highway and 14 miles southwest of the village of Northway.

Hot, dry weather is forecast through the end of the week.