Alaska smokejumpers are working on a fire burning west of the Bristol Bay area village of Levelock. Residents reported the fire burning north of the village shortly after midnight Monday. Because all resources were already assigned to fires or were not able to fly due to darkness, a plane carrying the eight smokejumpers launched first thing Monday morning. Village residents and two bulldozer mobilized to the Levelock Fire (#752) shortly after it was discovered in an effort to keep it from threatening the village. Other residents – mostly elders and young children – decided to leave Levelock due to the smoky conditions creating respiratory issues.
Firefighting personnel aboard the smokejumper plane were not able to get a good estimation of the size of the fire due to the smoke over the fire area. It was reported as burning in a combination of tundra with pockets of spruce. Smokejumpers were able parachute into the area and start working to suppress the fire at about 1:30 p.m.
More information will be released as soon as it becomes available.
The Levelock Fire (#752) is burning outside the remote Bristol Bay village its named after. Click on link 8-19-19 Levelock Fire for a PDF version of the fire.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 