Update at 7:30 p.m.: The combination of ground and aerial efforts were successful in slowing the Deadwood Fire’s progress within hours after its start. Sixteen smokejumpers, six water-dropping Fire Boss airplanes, an air tanker and the air attack platform guiding the other aircraft managed to reduce the fire spread and are now tracking down spot fires. A rough estimate put the size of the fire at 30 acres.
Work will likely continue late into the night. The BLM Alaska Fire Service Midnight Sun Hotshots will be ordered to join the suppression efforts on Saturday. The goal is to completely extinguish the fire that is burning on both sides of the Circle Hot Springs Road about 2 1/2 miles from the intersection with the Steese Highway in Central.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was issued for the airspace to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft.
More information will be available tomorrow.
Original information: Smokejumpers and aircraft are aggressively attacking a new wildfire burning south of Central. Sixteen smokejumpers, six water-dropping Fire Boss aircraft, and an air tanker are busy trying to keep the Deadwood Fire (#315) limited to the 40 acres it’s already burned. The fire was reported by a Central resident at 4 p.m. today. It is burning in black spruce on both sides of the Circle Hot Springs Road just south of town. The fire is burning to the south with the help of northerly 5-10 mph winds.
The BLM Alaska Fire Service has requested a Temporary Flight Restriction over the fire area due to the large number of aircraft – eight including an air attack airplane with personnel that are coordinating the aerial suppression efforts – that are engaged in knocking the fire down. The Fire Boss aircraft are scooping water out of the nearby Medicine Lake to use on the fire.
More information will be updated when it is available.
For more information, contact BLM AFS Public Affairs Specialist at (907)356-5510 or eipsen@blm.gov.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 