The Alaska Division of Forestry is tackling a small, remote, lightning-caused wildfire in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge near the same area the Swan Lake Fire started two years ago.
State forestry is inserting a Helitack load of four firefighters to attack the fire on the ground while a helicopter is making water drops from the air.
The Loon Lake Fire (#180) was reported at 8:11 p.m. and the Kenai/Kodiak Area Forestry office launched a helicopter to verify the report. The flight revealed a 2-acre fire burning about one-half mile south of Swan Lake, 1 mile northwest of the Moose River and 10 ½ miles northeast of Sterling. The fire was reported to be creeping and smoldering in spruce regrowth with rank 2 fire behavior (scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most intense) and a 100 percent active perimeter.
The fire is approximately 1 mile from the spot lightning ignited the Swan Lake Fire in 2019, which burned nearly 170,000 acres.
Because the fire is burning in a Limited protection area with no resources threatened, the Refuge has jurisdiction on management of the fire. The refuge directed state forestry to take suppression action on the fire.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 