Live – #McKinleyFire Clean up with Team Rubicon, September 7, 2019 – Kale Casey is on scene with Team Rubicon Alaska Incident Commander and State Administrator Rachel Alford to “Break it Down.” The fire recovery process is long, slow and potentially dangerous work for both homeowners and volunteers. Many hands make the work go a little faster.
REMINDER: Burn permit suspensions remain in effect! No burn barrels or open burning are allowed. Details can be found at http://dnr.alaska.gov
Please respect private property boundaries when gathering firewood along the Parks Highway.
As of yesterday, firefighters have secured approximately 33.25 miles of fire perimeter and further growth of the fire footprint is not expected. Crews, along with heavy equipment continue to address immediate hazards within 100 feet of damaged structures and 50 feet along the fire perimeter. Work is also continuing on nine miles of roadway, four miles of railroad and hotspots within the perimeter.
Fuels remain critically dry in the mid to lower duff layers and surface fuels continue to dry with recent warm and dry weather. One more day of drying is expected with a wetting rain possible Saturday night into Sunday morning. This precipitation will quickly taper off Sunday morning with clouds breaking up by afternoon. Rains will not be sufficient enough to extinguish the burning organic matter beneath the surface. Ash pits and unstable trees continue to be a safety concern for crews working to mop-up the area.
All power is restored to the area and any residents experiencing issues should call the Matanuska Electric Association. Residences from milepost 81.5 to 92 of the Parks Highway are still in evacuation “Level 1-Ready.” The Parks Highway speed limit remains 45 mph through the fire vicinity.
Extreme caution and a high level of awareness is urged for residents within the fire perimeter and woodcutters along the Parks Highway. Deep pockets of burning organic material called ashpits, along with snags pose significant dangers to anyone inside the burn area. .
Closures: A portion of Willow Swamp (Game Management Unit 14A) is closed due to the Deshka Landing Fire. For more info, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is still in effect over the McKinley Fire.
Disaster Assistance: There are several agencies with information on disaster assistance; please visit Alaska Wildland Fire Information: https://bit.ly/2lzpyZu for detailed contact information.
The Disaster Assistance Center will be open for fire survivors to register for the State of Alaska Individual Assistance at the following location: Willow United Methodist Church (29286 Parks Hwy) Willow, AK 99688 September 4-18 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m
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Categories: AK Fire Info
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 