6:00 PM UPDATE
Road is open to one lane traffic with a pilot car. More repairs ongoing, two lane traffic will be established midweek. Please have patience and drive safely.
12:00 PM Update from the Alaska State Troopers: –
There have been modifications to the evacuations along the Elliott Highway due to the Grapefruit Fire Complex.
• Ready – Elliott Highway Milepost 18-65
• Set – None
• Go – None
DOT has also closed the Elliott at MP57 due to flooding.
11:30 AM Update from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities:
The Elliott Highway is CLOSED at MP 56 due to flooding and water across the road in our construction work zone. Crews are on site and the road should be open later today. Please check 511.alaska.gov for up to date information.
12:00 PM Update from the Alaska State Troopers: –
There have been modifications to the evacuations along the Elliott Highway due to the Grapefruit Fire Complex.
• Ready – Elliott Highway Milepost 18-65
• Set – None
• Go – None
DOT has also closed the Elliott at MP57 due to flooding.
11:30 AM Update from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities:
The Elliott Highway is 
CLOSED at MP 56 due to flooding and water across the road in our construction work zone. Crews are on site and the road should be open later today. Please check 511.alaska.gov for up to date information.
11:00 AM Update from the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team:
Alaska Incident Management Team 3
Incident Commander- Peter Butteri
Location: 40 Miles north of Fairbanks
Complex Acres: 87,434
Personnel: 313
Containment: 25%
Widespread rain led to decreased fire behavior across the complex Thursday. Firefighters were able to close the Elliott Highway briefly on Thursday to remove fire-weakened trees that could endanger firefighters and motorists as they travel through this area. Evacuations were adjusted Thursday morning due to the change in fire behavior and weather. As predicted, the fire area experienced southwest winds gusting up to 20-25 mph Thursday accompanied by 0.5-.75 inches of rain.. A wind advisory and 30% chance of rain with a 20% chance of enough rainfall to moisten the ground and vegetation is predicted today.
The Grapefruit Complex includes the Globe Fire (#253), Iver Fire (#249), Eagle Fire (#306), Wilber Fire (#308), Noodor Fire (#192), and Fossil Fire (#115). The Elliott Highway has minimally active fires to the east and west of mileposts 30-50 and is the primary focus for protection. Firefighters are actively safeguarding property and structures in the area, where fire activity shows signs of creeping, smoldering, and isolated torching within the black spruce. Crews are focusing on protecting the Elliott Highway, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Native allotments, public and private structures as well as minimize impacts to anadromous fish habitat along the Tatalina and Tolovana river corridors.
Evacuations: Evacuation levels were reduced on Thursday (July 4th). The current levels are represented as:
Ready (Green): Elliot Hwy MM 18-30 and 57-65 / Set (Yellow): Elliott Hwy MM 30 – 57 / Go (red): None currently.
Fire managers are re-evaluating their recommendations for evacuation levels today.
Smoke: Air quality in the fire area has improved with rain. However, smoke may still be present on the highway mixed with fog. Please exercise caution and patience, turn on your headlights to help ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area.
Road access: The Elliott Highway remains open. Expect significant delays between mileposts 25-65 if fire activity increases. Firefighters are working out of Wickersham Dome trailhead with increased traffic and heavy equipment exiting and entering the area around milepost 28. Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities contracted workers and a pilot car are helping keep the flow of traffic open. Check https://511.alaska.gov/ for road updates.
Temporary Flight Restriction: A TFR is in place during the day to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft.
Closures: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office closed the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area surrounding the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at mile 28 Elliott Highway. The closure is in effect until Sept. 1, unless the BLM determines the area is safe for public use at an earlier time.
Fire Information Public Phone: 907-615-6793
Inciweb: tinyurl.com/grapefruitcomplexfireinciweb
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BLMAFS
Twitter: twitter.com/BLM_AFS
https://linktr.ee/grapefruitcomplex
-BLM-
Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, P.O. Box 35005, 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703
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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with a $18.1 million inventory. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 