Grapefruit Complex Fires Continue to Grow – Alaska Wildfire Information

On Monday, an Alaska Complex Incident Management Team will take command of the Grapefruit Complex, comprised of six fires burning along the Elliott Highway south of Livengood.

Most of the fires have been growing quite significantly in quiet conditions over the past two days. It is possible that cooler, wetter temperatures will move into the area starting Wednesday or Thursday. While this will provide some relief for those working on the fires, strong westerly winds are likely to develop before the forecast weather turns wetter and cooler. This could further push the fires, particularly the Iver fire, closer to neighbourhoods along the Elliott Highway.

THE Globe of Fire (#253)estimated at 12,526 acres Sunday, was burning primarily eastward and farther into the White Mountains.

On Friday, the Iver and Slate fires merged with Iver Fire (#249), now estimated at 14,649 acres and located 16 miles east of Minto. Minto Lake is located between the fire and the community of Minto.

The Iver Fire is rapidly spreading through what fire managers have described as “decadent black spruce” toward the Elliott Highway and the Globe Fire. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline lies between the two fires, with the Iver Fire about 7 miles southwest of where the Globe Fire crossed the highway at mile marker 39.

Crews were busy installing sprinkler systems on structures along the Elliott Highway corridor closest to the fire Sunday. A line of bulldozers was built around a small subdivision on the west side of the highway, nearly 40 miles away. A masticator — a heavy equipment that uses a rotating drum with teeth or blades to grind, shred and mulch trees and brush into smaller pieces — set up a firebreak around two of the three Native American tracts near the fire. Firefighters will continue to clear that line, fortify the firebreaks and install sprinkler systems to douse properties near the fire.

The nine-person Eagle Lake Wildfire Module is tasked with assessing structures for 32 miles along the Elliott Highway starting at mile 39.

Meanwhile, smoke continues to hamper air support for firefighters on the ground.

The complex also includes:

• THE Fire Eagle (#306) The size of the fire is estimated at 118 acres. It did not immediately threaten known sites of value. This lightning-caused fire has been burning since Friday evening and has shown significant growth over the past few days.
• THE Wilber Fire (#308) A fire was reported around 2 p.m. Saturday. It is located approximately 4 miles west of mile marker 51 and is estimated to be 77 acres in size.
• THE Fire Noordor (#192) The forest is estimated to cover 9,068 acres. The lightning-sparked fire has been burning on BLM-managed land since June 20.
• THE Fossil Fire (#115) has no fire or smoke activity, but will still be grouped within the complex. It is located within the White Mountains National Recreation Area.

Evacuation: A GO evacuation order is still in effect for people located at mile markers 39 to 48 on the Elliott Highway.

Road access: The section of Elliott Highway near the Globe Fire is open. Expect significant delays between mile markers 25-50 if fire activity increases as it did Thursday afternoon. Please use caution and patience, and turn on your headlights to ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area. Alaska State Police officers, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities contract workers, and a pilot car are helping to keep traffic open. Check for road updates.

Temporary flight restriction: A TFR is in place during the day to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft.

Closures: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Interior Eastern Field Office has closed the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area surrounding the Wickersham Dome trailhead at mile 28 of the Elliott Highway. The closure is in effect until September 1, unless the BLM determines sooner that the area is safe for public use.

-BLM-

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Department, PO Box 35005, 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703

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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS), located in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services on more than 240 million acres of Department of Interior and Alaska Native lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities including: interpreting fire management policy; overseeing the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communications and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a national incident support cache with an inventory of $18.1 million. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America's “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army in Alaska.

Categories: Active Wildfires, Alaska Fire Information, BLM Alaska Fire Department

Keywords: Globe Fire, Grapefruit Fire