Bean Complex now at 90% completion

Firefighters, equipment and supplies being shuttled on the river by boats. The bow of the river boat moving down the Tanana River with firefighter gear and cooler. Photo credit: Kylie Paul Fulton IHC
Firefighters, equipment and supplies being shuttled on the river by boats. Photo credit: Kylie Paul Fulton IHC

Over the past two days, Operations personnel have been able to make significant progress on dismantling structure protection and fireline equipment and hauling it to Manley Hot Springs by helicopter and motorboat. The equipment is then packaged for ground transport to Fairbanks. The fire is now reporting 90% completion. Weather conditions continued to be warm and sunny on Saturday and no rain fell on the fire area over the past 24 hours. Fire activity remains smoldering and minimal. There is a chance of isolated rain showers on Sunday and the rain chances for Monday have increased. Subsurface hotspots remained scattered and are expected to continue to smolder until larger amounts of rain extinguish the fires.

The logistics of moving people, food, and equipment to and from the remote locations on the Bean Complex involves numerous people in the Logistics Section. Logistics personnel support everyone working on the fire through the following units: Facilities (establishing a base camp and support for firefighters to sleep and eat); Food (obtaining the food service to provide three meals per day); Ground Support (obtaining, inspecting, and driving the vehicles to move everything around); Communications (establishing the two-way radio system and staffing the radio); Medical (providing first aid care to sick or injured personnel and organizing EMTs); Ordering (obtaining supplies and materials); Receiving (organizing the arrival and departure of supplies); and Supply (organizing and accounting for all the materials and supplies). There has been a tremendous amount of logistics to plan and coordinate on the Bean Complex.

The seven fires total 197,255 acres with 114 people assigned. The slight increase in size is due to more accurate mapping. A few firefighters are still camped remotely as they work on hauling out equipment and supplies.

The Tanana River Fire (#310), is 14 miles southeast of Manley Hot Springs and north of the Tanana River. Firefighters are disassembling fire protection equipment and preparing it to be removed from the Deadman’s Lake area. The fire is 25,223 acres in size.

The Bitzshitini Fire (#312), is 23 miles southwest of Manley Hot Springs and south of the Tanana River. It is unstaffed and in monitor status. The fire is 71,266 acres in size.

The Chitinana Fire (#315), south of the Tanana River about 21 miles southeast of Tanana and 20 miles southwest of Manley Hot Springs, is 100,246 acres in size. Crews are working to remove water pump site equipment from three different locations on the fire.

The Hutlinana Fire (#327), is located north of the Tanana River roughly 10 miles east of Manley Hot Springs and is 407 acres. It is unstaffed and in monitor status.

The Rock Fire (#557), is located 6 miles north of Eureka and is 1 acre. It is unstaffed and in monitor status.

The Elephant Fire (#561), is located 6 miles northeast of Eureka and is 110 acres. It is unstaffed and in monitor status.

The Cosna Bluff Fire (#564), is located 19 miles southwest of Manley Hot Springs and is 2 acres. It is unstaffed and in monitor status.

For more information, contact Bean Complex Information at email: 2022.bean@firenet.gov; or 907-921-2454

Firefighter writing postcards to send home from Manley Hot Springs. His crew was working on Bean Complex fires and camping in remote areas most of their assignment. Firefighter in nomex clothes sitting on bench and ball cap writing on a postcard in front of the Manley Post Office. Photo credit: Bean Complex PIO Deana Harms
Firefighter writing postcards to send home from Manley Hot Springs. His crew was working on the Bean Complex fires and camping in remote areas most of their assignment. Photo credit: Bean Complex PIO Deana Harms


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