Chalkyitsik Complex: 60% Completion

By Alaska Fire PIOs on August 5, 2019

Size: 501,629 acres (no new acreage)

Members of the Missouri_Iowa Coordination Center #3 Type 2 Initial Attack Crew dig into the peat looking for heat as they cold trail the Small Timber Fire (#687) of the Chalkyitsik Complex on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. The 34-acre fire is holding heat in the deep layers of peat along the Draanjik River due to the extreme drought conditions the area has experienced this season. Sam Harrel/Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team

The Alaska Type 2 Green Team on the Chalkyitsik Complex and the National Incident Management Team on the Cornucopia Complex will both transition with the incoming Alaska Type 2 Black Team with Incident Commander Ed Sanford on Wednesday, August 7^th, 2019 at 7:00 am. Both complexes are working together to transition all plans, firefighting resources, equipment and aircraft to the single management team for a successful handoff.

Members of the Missouri_Iowa Coordination Center #3 Type 2 Initial Attack Crew use water to extinguish hot spots they found in peat while cold trailing the Small Timber Fire (#687) of the Chalkyitsik Complex on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. The 34-acre fire is holding heat in the deep layers of peat along the Draanjik River due to the extreme drought conditions the area has experienced this season. Sam Harrel/Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team

Monday, skies will remain partly sunny with northeast winds around 5 mph and no rain predicted. A weather system will move into the fire area early in the week and bring a wetting rain to primarily the south side of the complex. Fire indices (Fine Fuel Moisture Code and Drought Moisture Code) are rebounding back to burn enabling levels but lack the strong wind to push fire spread.

Today, 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 (#687) still has stubborn 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.

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