It’s a wound yet to heal — people in Willow are still dealing with the aftermath of the 2015 Sockeye Fire, and now there’s new destruction from the McKinley Fire. But for crews working the line, déjà vu could be a good thing.

The current fire is following a familiar pattern that the area saw four years ago. If the McKinley Fire reaches the area where the Sockeye burned, the old fire scars could slow its spread.

"The two fires are very similar. Both were wind events that came out through the Alaska Range, so a north wind, dry wind, very strong winds — 30 miles per hour plus with gusts," said director of the Alaska Division of Forestry Chris Maisch.