No Growth Due to Rain on Swan Lake Fire

By 2019swanlakefireinfo on July 25, 2019

PUBLIC MEETING THURSDAY, 6 PM
COOPER LANDING SCHOOL – 19030 BEAN CREEK ROAD
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Daily Update for July 25

YESTERDAY: No growth occurred on the fire due to rain and cooler temperatures. Fire crews removed the structure protection hose from the Moose Research Center and continued to remove miles of hose from non-active areas. Excavators were used to repair dozer lines and work continued to repair other fire control lines.

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TODAY: Fire activity will be limited to smoldering due to the cool, wet weather. Large fuels and duff will continue to smolder over the next few days. Fire crews continue to mop-up residual heat and repair containment lines. Helicopters are being used to remove large amounts of supplies and equipment. Hoses taken off the line get packaged and taken to Palmer or Fairbanks where they can be washed, dried and rolled. Pumps are serviced, refurbished and available for future needs. Fireline repair will continue along the Sterling Highway and where contingency lines were put into place but are no longer needed.

WEATHER: Cooler temperatures, cloudy skies, and increased humidity are expected. Winds will be out of the northwest around five miles per hour. Clouds will linger overnight with scattered showers possible through midnight. Daytime highs into the 60s and lows into the mid-40s are expected.

AIR QUALITY: Smoke may linger in the Cooper Landing area and along the Sterling Highway corridor again today. For smoke forecasts from Alaska wildfires, visit UAFSMOKE at http://smoke.alaska.edu.

SUMMARY: The Kenai Peninsula experiences fire annually, however, the area of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge where the fire is burning has not seen fire since 1947. Historically, there is no record of fire in the higher elevations. Natural fire on the landscape will remove areas of black spruce to reduce future large-scale fire impacts and create more fire resilient communities.

SAFETY: Watch for construction zones and smoke along the Sterling Highway. Helicopters will be active in the southeast corner of the fire along Sterling highway near Upper Jean Lake. Please obey the speed limit and do not stop along the highway shoulder in order to protect firefighters, construction crews, and other drivers. Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Officers are monitoring for visibility impacts due to smoke and fog on Sterling and Seward Highways. Please use headlights. For current road conditions visit http://511.alaska.gov. The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) includes the western portion of the Chugach National Forest and the Sterling Highway corridor. Violators of the TFR will be reported to the FAA. The use of drones in the TFR and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge are not permitted. Current TFR details and NOTAM 9/0573 is available at: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_0573.html.