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Minimal Fire Activity Observed on the Swan Lake Fire

By 2019swanlakefireinfo on July 26, 2019

Swan Lake Fire Community Meeting at Cooper Landing Elementary School July 25, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/EasternAreaIMT/videos/2260304374064873/

Daily Update for July 26

YESTERDAY: : The Swan Lake Fire was quiet yesterday, with no gain in acreage. Smoke was visible from scattered areas on the interior of the fire where logs and other large fuels continued to burn. Fine fuels including brush and lichens absorbed enough moisture from the recent high humidity and rain that they are currently resistant to burning. Fire personnel continued to remove excess hose and other equipment from the fire vicinity. They also chipped brush piles, removed dozer berms, and added water bars on dozer lines to allow proper drainage. Over 40 members of the public attended the meeting at Cooper Landing School last night for a fire update.

Swan Lake Fire public information map July 26, 2019
https://inciweb .nwcg.gov/incident/map/6387/0/93395

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. Fire activity will continue to be limited to smoldering in the large fuels and thick duff layer. These fuels are not burning actively, but have not absorbed enough moisture to be extinguished. This consumption will continue to produce smoke, but will also reduce the amount of flammable vegetation in the event of another fire in this vicinity. Most of the fire will be monitored by air. Fire crews will continue to mop-up residual heat near the control lines and remove surplus equipment. Several temporary helicopter landing spots in remote parts of the fire will be evaluated for repair needs, such as scattering log landing pads or placing brush over any exposed soils to reduce erosion. A surplus radio repeater will be flown off of the fire to make it available for use on another fire. Fireline repairs will continue along the Sterling Highway where contingency lines were constructed 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. Cool temperatures, partly to mostly cloudy skies, scattered showers, and high humidity are expected for the next few days. Rainfall amounts are expected to total between one tenth and one quarter inch.

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, fog, and smoke along the Sterling Highway. Helicopters may be active along Sterling Highway. Please obey the speed limit and do not stop along the highway shoulder in order to protect firefighters, construction crews, and other drivers. 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. 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.