Today, the Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the Minto Lakes Fire.
A Red Flag Warning has been issued from noon Friday to midnight Saturday for lightning and thunderstorms, and minimal precipitation is expected.
The public is asked to please be careful of fire personnel working around the fire perimeter and to stay out of those areas if possible. Unnecessary boats on the river and vehicles on the roads can put firefighters and the public at risk. It can also prevent firefighters from protecting structures and fighting the fire.
Air resources, including helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, are supporting firefighters as conditions allow, but low visibility due to smoke has kept them frequently grounded. When aircraft can fly, they are doing water drops, conducting reconnaissance flights, shuttling firefighters, and moving gear.
Similar firefighting strategies and tactics continue today, and more resources are being brought in. Firefighter and public safety are the highest priority. Fire management is working to ensure crews have adequate communications systems and transportation so more firefighters can engage in fighting the fire.
Along the Chatanika River from the MDR Boat Launch to the area past Shovel Creek, crews are implementing structure protection measures, including setting up sprinkler systems. They will continue working upriver. To the northeast, around the Hayes Creek and Himalaya subdivisions, dozer operators are opening old fire lines used for the 2011 Hastings Fire. Today crews will begin structure protection work in these areas.
Evacuations for the Minto Lakes Fire
For the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Operations evacuation map, go to https://tinyurl.com/MintoLakes. Follow the FNSB Emergency Operations Facebook page at facebook.com/FNSBEmergencyOperations for updates and notifications. Receive FNSB Emergency Alerts via text message by texting: FNSBWildFire2022 to 67283.
Weather
There will be areas of smoke and haze, and clear to partly cloudy skies with scattered, mostly dry thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and low relative humidity will be around 24%. Winds are predicted to be terrain driven, south to southwest at 5-10 mph.
Closures
The Alaska Bureau of Land Management has issued a Fire Closure Order for the White Mountain National Recreation Area. The following trails are closed: Wickersham Creek Trail, Trail Creek Trail (between the junction with Wickersham Creek Trail and the junction with Moose Creek Trail), Moose Creek Trail, and Summit Trail. The following BLM public use cabins and shelters are closed: Lee’s Cabin, Eleazar’s Cabin, Moose Creek Cabin, Summit Trail Shelter, Wickersham Creek Trail Shelter. For more information, visit https://akfireinfo.com/ or call the Fairbanks District Office at 907-474-2200.
Categories: AK Fire Info
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 