Aircraft pummeled a wildfire west of Delta Junction again on Sunday with water drops, as well as a water enhancer called BlazeTamer, to keep the fire from spreading.
A photo of the Rainbow 2 Fire taken at around 2 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2019 shows minimal fire behavior following water and BlazeTamer drops on Sunday. Photo by Mike Goyette/Alaska Division of Forestry
The Rainbow 2 Fire about 15 miles west of Delta Junction was estimated at 220 acres following an aerial reconnaissance on Monday afternoon. The fire was started by lightning late Saturday afternoon and an aggressive aerial response from the Alaska Division of Forestry kept the fire to an estimated 150 acres.
Aircraft returned on Sunday to address increasing fire activity on the north and northeast edges of the fire when it burned into a patch of black spruce. Air tankers dropped six loads of BlazeTamer and water scoopers doused the fire with multiple water drops. The water and BlazeTamer drops proved very effective in suppressing the fire.
An aerial reconnaissance of the fire at around 2 p.m. on Monday revealed minimal fire activity inside the perimeter of the fire. Fire behavior was described as smoldering and creeping.
Eight smokejumpers that were deployed on Saturday to set up protection measures for a cabin on Rainbow Lake were picked up by helicopter on Sunday. The Alaska Division of Forestry will continue to monitor the fire by air and address any problem areas with water and BlazeTamer drops.
The fire is about 15 miles west of Delta Junction and 2 miles east of Delta Creek. It is approximately 8 miles north of Oregon Lakes Fire that burned 34,499 acres earlier this season.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 