The cooler, wetter weather has greatly reduced fire behavior on the Dry Creek Fire in the past few days. Due to this, the number of personnel working on the fire has decreased as people have started to hit the end of their 14-day assignment. The remaining firefighters will continue to take advantage of the cooler weather to fortify work already done and prepare for the warmer and drier forecast this weekend. The BLM Alaska Fire Service Chena Hotshots demobilized on Tuesday. The BLM AFS training crew, the North Star Fire Crew, will replace them securing the northwest edge of the fire to make sure the property near the confluence of the Tanana River and the Hot Springs Slough are protected.
The fire is still south of the Tanana River and, other than two small fires that were quickly extinguished by smokejumpers on July 3, has remained to the west of the Zitziana River. Smokejumpers continue to patrol the Zitziana River to keep an eye out in case the fire spots over this windy river. They are also regularly checking on a cabin that is on the northern end of the Zitziana River.
Smokejumpers constructed a fire break around on a cluster of cabins on the Tanana River farther to the southeast. The fire is still more than nine miles from this group of cabins located upriver from the Junction Island. The fire is four miles from a property to the east near the Tanana River’s Jennie M. Island.
The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) remains in place for the fire area due to the need to advise aviators of the increased firefighting aircraft in and around the Manley Hot Springs airport (PAML). Firefighting aircraft are monitoring the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) of 122.8. We ask aviators in the area to please monitor PAML CTAF, report their position, keep eyes peeled and ears tuned in for air traffic in the area. There are several aircraft in this area– helicopters , airplanes and Unmanned Aerial Systems, or drones – helping with firefighting efforts. The NOTAM is for the airspace 10 nautical miles (NM) southwest to southeast from PAML, up to an altitude of 3,500 feet. Geographically speaking from the airport, 10 NM downstream, 10 NM upstream of the Tanana River and the area south of the river up to 10 NM.
| Start date: June 14 | Acres: 48,413 | Personnel assigned: 26 | Crews: 1 | Cause: Lightning |
For more information, contact BLM AFS Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at (907)356-5510 or eipsen@blm.gov.
Categories: AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 