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Interagency firefighters responding to Lake George Fire (#161) southeast of Delta Junction

By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection on July 2, 2023

Aerial photo of the Lake George Fire (#161) from the Smoke Jumper plane on Sunday, July 2nd 2023.

7:45 PM UPDATE:

Lake George Fire (#161) is currently experiencing moderated fire behavior on the perimeter. The fire is still being estimated at 47 acres and maintaining its footprint. Helicopters, tankers and fire boss firefighting aircraft have been successful in cooling down the active fire edges throughout the afternoon. Ground crews have had the opportunity to be able to be shuttled out to the fire by air resources that are being utilized in the area.

The fire area is only accessible via boat and helicopter. Crews will continue to be shuttled in to the area and will work on the fire through the night. More crews will join in the morning to bolster efforts on the ground.

Fire crews face the challenges of dense fuels as they work to establish containment lines along the perimeter. This work will continue over the next few days to ensure containment. Weather forecasted for the area shows the potential for a Red Flag Warning for tomorrow. Firefighters will prepare for the possibility of hot, dry and windy conditions that may test their holding lines.

There are no road impacts at this time for the Alaska Highway, although there will be fire apparatus operating on the road between Delta and Dot Lake. Please be cautious of fire operations being conducted near the roadway.

There is now a Temporary Flight Restriction in place over the Lake George Fire area. To view the current TFR in the area please visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html.

Due to the holiday weekend being in full swing, please be cautious of using fireworks and leaving campfires unattended. The fine fuels and trees have the potential to catch fire with the weather forecasted. Be safe and recreate responsibly.

This will be the final update for Sunday evening, July 2nd, unless fire activity increases.

Smoke column of the Lake George Fire seen from the Alaska Highway — Smoke column from the Lake George Fire (#161) seen from the road. The fire was reported in from a member of the public on Sunday afternoon, July 2.

View of Lake George Fire smoke column from lake on Sunday, July 2, 2023. — Smoke column from the Lake George Fire (#161) seen from the road. The fire was reported in from a member of the public on Sunday afternoon, July 2.

2:30 PM UPDATE: The Lake George Fire is now estimated at 40-50 acres and is burning in black spruce uphill towards hardwoods. There are no structures threatened at this time. Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection’s (DOF) Pioneer Peak Hotshots are en route in addition to the AFS Smokejumpers and Northstar Crew. Aerial operations are ongoing with Fire Bosses, Helitack from Delta and Tok DOF, and an air tanker.

The public may encounter firefighters and firefighting apparatus between Delta Junction and Dot Lake on the Alaska Highway. The Alaska Highway has not been impacted by the fire; however, the public is reminded to reduce their speed and drive with caution in the area to help provide for firefighter safety.

Map of Lake George Fire (#161), east of the Alaska Highway between Delta Junction and Dot Lake.

12:46 PM UPDATE: Firefighters and aerial resources are responding to a fire estimated at 6 acres on the west side of Lake George. The fire is burning in black spruce with 50% active perimeter with 50 foot flame lengths. Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection helitack and engines are responding along with two fire bosses, one air tanker, BLM Alaska Fire Service Smokejumpers, and BLM AFS Northstar crew. Additional crews and resources have been ordered.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.