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Additional precipitation and cooler temperatures keep fires on the Middle Tanana Complex quiet

By midtananacomplex2022 on July 13, 2022

An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), or drone, was assigned to the Middle Tanana Complex. The UAS comes with a team that controls the machine from the ground and operates the system it connects to. Yesterday the UAS was used for mapping the Gold Hub and Central Creek fires using infrared technology. Since the crew must have a direct line of sight with the drone, the remote fires without direct access could not be mapped.

Photo of a drone in the sky with firefighters on the ground wearing yellow nomex shirts and green nomex pants. They are standing next to a red Chevrolet truck in a gravel lot. Green trees and brush in the background. — A Unmanned Aircraft System was used yesterday on the Middle Tanana Complex to map the Gold Hub and Central Creek fire perimeters. Photo Credit: Northern Rockies IMT 3 Division Supervisor Dave Schwartz

Smokejumpers working on the north side of the Salcha River near the Yukon Creek Fire completed their structure protection work on cabins between Butte Creek and Flat Creek. Crews will patrol and monitor the area.

Along Shaw Creek Road towards the Pogo Mine, fire personnel are looking for natural features to check the Gold Hub Fire should it become active again. Several days ago, the Central Creek Fire spotted across Shaw Creek Road near mile 40. Over the last few days, firefighters scouted the area, identified, and extinguished six to ten found spot fires. The main fire did not cross the road, and firefighters continue work to protect the adjacent powerlines and scout for future opportunities to stop the Central Creek Fire. When the weather allows, crews will fly into the Central Creek Airstrip Fire to check the sprinkler systems and pumps around structures.

Near the South Fork Fire along the lower Goodpaster River corridor, firefighters will continue implementing structure protection around cabins and buildings. This work continues on the north side from river mile 26 to the confluence with the South Fork Goodpaster River.

The Porcupine, Gilles, Marshall Mountain, and California Creek fires are being monitored.

Evacuations

On the Goodpaster River, mile 0 to river mile 8.6 is now in READY status. River mile 8.6 to river mile 33.9 is in SET status. From the confluence with the South Fork Goodpaster River to Seven Mile Creek is in READY. The group of cabins along the Goodpaster River at the mouth of Central Creek is in SET status. Shaw Creek Road and the Pogo Mine area are in READY status. The residents off the road system and recreational cabins in the Middle Salcha River and Upper Salcha River Zones are in SET status. The Lower Salcha River remains in READY. When evacuation status changes, we will work with emergency management staff to make those announcements.

Weather

The next several days will be cool with temperatures in the low 70s, humidity staying above 35%, and with winds generally under 20 mph. Expect mostly cloudy conditions to persist for the next 5-7 days with below average temperatures.