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Chalkyitsik Complex: Winds and falling tree hazard

By Alaska Fire PIOs on August 4, 2019

Chalkyitsik Complex Camp Crew on Friday, July 19, 2019, standing from left, Jonas Carroll, Terry Herbert, Bryan Joseph, Peter Nathen Druck, Edward Paul, Thomas Fields. Seated from left, Michael Joseph, Stephanie Herbert, Tamara Henry, Tyrel Jonas. Not shown, Jeffry Wright. Photo Courtesy Stephanie Herbert.

Gusty winds up to 25 mph from the west will start the day Sunday and taper off midday. No rainfall is expected over the complex area Sunday and Monday. Falling trees with unstable root beds within the burned areas are a significant risk to firefighter safety and crews are conducting operational pauses when winds pick up along the fireline. Fire indices (Fine Fuel Moisture Code and Drought Moisture Code) have dropped significantly with Saturday’s wetting rain but are already starting to rebound given how dry the fuels were before the rain. 1-3 days of drying could bring the forest fuels back to burnable levels.

Chalkyitsik Complex Forward Operating Base C&G, clockwise from left, Tyler Williams, ASGS, Togie Wiehl, Field OSC, Sam Harrel, PIO, Tracy Nicholson, COMP, Mike Butteri, PSC, Tim Benedict, SOF, Ron Sandler, MEDL, and sitting in back, Willie Begay, SOF. In the Tsuk Taih School on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Abe Davis/Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team

Sunday, the fire activity will be mainly creeping and smoldering and fire spread is not expected on the Frozen Calf (#367), Bearnose Hill (#407), and Tractor Trail 2 (#348) fires. The Small Timber Lake fire is expected to be contained on Monday with interior pockets of heavy fuels and deep duff layer mop up challenges. Tettjajik Creek fire (#424) interior fuels will continue to burn but active fire spread is unlikely due to recent rain and the adjacent 1999 Kevinjik Fire perimeter.