Expected southwest winds to affect air quality and fire behavior in northern DOF region – Alaska Wildfire Information

This is a report on fires that occurred in the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection's northern protection areas, generally north of the Alaska Range. These include the Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Tok DOF prevention areas.

No new fires were reported in the northern DOF region Tuesday. A wet, rainy, and windy pattern will begin as a front moves from the northwest to southeast Tuesday afternoon. Wetting rain is likely, with most locations receiving 0.10 to 0.25 inches of rain in the afternoon, except for the southeastern Interior and Yukon Plains, where less than a tenth of an inch is more likely. Firefighters will be concerned about strong southwest winds expected as the front moves through. Wind advisories have been issued for areas north and east of Fairbanks, affecting fires in the region.

Air quality will improve inland as southwest winds continue to disperse smoke, but will also likely lead to increased smoke production over active fires. Communities and roads downwind to the northeast of active fires may be most impacted by smoke. Continued improvement in air quality is expected Friday based on the rain forecast. For Wednesday’s air quality and smoke outlook, follow this link:

Firefighters continued to work Tuesday on three fires involving personnel in the northern region of the DOF.

Shaw Creek Dome Fire (#326)19.25 miles northeast of Big Delta, located in a full response area and estimated at 11 acres with 16 personnel assigned. The DOF White Mountain Suppression Module was flown to the fire Tuesday, joining crew members from the DOF Delta Helipad and establishing an anchor point near the origin of the fire. From there, they began building a saw line on the edge of the fire along the right flank. Two twin-engine water recovery aircraft delivered multiple loads of water to the active head of the fire and the left flank. The helicopter dropped buckets of water on the heat areas. After the aircraft completed its work, the fire behavior was smoldering with minimal visible flames. Firefighters, supported by the helicopter, will continue building the saw line Wednesday.

Last Chance Creek Fire (#305) – 11 miles east of Fox near the Fort Knox Gold Mine in a full response area. The fire is estimated at 1 acre with 26 personnel affected. The bulldozer has completed clearing a line around the perimeter of the fire and has been released. The crew from DOF Fairbanks 1 was sent to the fire Tuesday to help clean and adjust the pump and hose laying system surrounding the fire. There is no water source nearby. Several portable tanks, filled by water tankers and helicopters with buckets, have been set up to supply the hose system. The paratroopers will be released Wednesday to return to their base where they will rest and refurbish their equipment to be available to respond to new fires.

Gold King Creek Fire (#276) – 46 miles south of Fairbanks in a limited response area and is estimated at 3,100 acres with 34 personnel affected. The fire received light precipitation Tuesday. Paratroopers and the Chugachmiut Yukon team continue to improve their indirect lines and test their pumps and hoses in place to protect structures in the Gold King cabin community. The fire has burned to the west bank of Gold King Creek. The cabin community is along the east bank of the creek. The UAS module flew its unmanned aircraft to map the fire. A temporary flight restriction is in place over the Gold King Creek fire for the safety of firefighting aircraft operations. Pilots should check here, before flying into the area.

Categories: Active Wildfires, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry (DOF)

Keywords: DOF Northern Region, Gold King Fire, Last Chance Creek Fire, Shaw Creek Dome Fire