Firefighters built fuelbreaks with hose lays around structures and native allotments in preparation for burning operations on the Mauneluk River Fire (#535). With fireline securing the north and south sides, the burnout is planned to hold the fire in place. The lighting-caused fire started on July 12 has spread across 8,297 acres on the west side of the Mauneluk River close to the confluence with the Kobuk River 13 miles east of Kobuk.
About 40 firefighters including smokejumpers, the Twin Falls (Idaho) helitack firefighters and the BLM Alaska Fire Service Midnight Sun Interagency Hotshot Crew are using helicopters and boats while working half to protect fish camps, Native allotments and structures along both sides of the Mauneluk and Kobuk rivers. The fire has been driven by wind through dry spruce and open tundra.
The hotshots are directly working on the west flank of the fire to secure it in a rocky area to use the natural barrier to confine the fire. The fire area received intermittent light rain over the last several days. Several days of drier weather are expected, which will be more conducive to burning operations.
Firefighters built fuelbreaks with hose lays around structures and native allotments in preparation for burning operations on the Mauneluk River Fire (#535). With fireline securing the north and south sides, the burnout is planned to hold the fire in place. The lighting-caused fire started on July 12 has spread across 8,297 acres on the west side of the Mauneluk River close to the confluence with the Kobuk River 13 miles east of Kobuk.
Information on wildfire smoke predictions can be found at the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks website located at http://smoke.alaska.edu/.
For more information, contact the Alaska Interagency Fire Information Office at (208) 274-3316 or email 2019.AFS.FIRES@gmail.com.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 