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Grapefruit Complex sees clear skies as structure protection nears completion

By 2024grapefruitcomplex on July 8, 2024

Clearer skies on the Grapefruit Complex fire on July 7. BLM Photo: Chelsea Cole

Josh Leutzinger, Planning Operations Trainee for the Alaska Complex Incident Management Team gives the daily update for July 8.

Grapefruit Complex Daily Update: Monday, July 8, 2024

Alaska Incident Management Team 3

Incident Commander- Peter Butteri

Location: 40 Miles north of Fairbanks

Complex Acres: 87,434

Personnel: 236

Containment: 0%

Completed Structure Preparation: 85%

Crews are working toward finalizing structure protection measures, documenting assessment data, and collecting equipment no longer needed for operations. The work around the Native Allotments, included utilizing a masticator and crews to put in a fire break, has been completed. Slight showers continued to fall over the area Sunday, and 2-4” of rain were measured in the days since the rain event began. The forecast for Monday predicts drier conditions with only a chance of light rain over the fire. Partly cloudy skies with chilly temperatures are expected. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-40s, with highs struggling to reach 60. Minimum relative humidity will be 50% or higher. Winds will continue from the southwest, with gusts to around 18 mph.

The Grapefruit Complex includes the Globe Fire (#253), Iver Fire (#249), Eagle Fire (#306), Wilber Fire (#308), Noodor Fire (#192), and Fossil Fire (#115). Crews continue to limit the fire’s impact on the Elliott Highway, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Native allotments, and public and private structures, as well as reducing impacts to fish habitat along the Tatalina and Tolovana River corridors.

Evacuations: The current levels are represented as:

Ready (Green): Elliot Hwy MM 18-65 / Set (Yellow): None currently. / Go (red): None currently.

Smoke: The fire perimeter is unlikely to change. However, as daytime temperatures rise and fuels dry out, some of the fuels that held heat through the rain event may produce smoke. Turning on your headlights is advised to help ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area.

Road access: The Elliott Highway is open. Expect delays between mileposts 25-65 as firefighters work to remove equipment from the Wickersham Dome trailhead area. Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities temporarily repaired the road due to flooding at milepost 57, utilizing one lane and pilot cars to facilitate traffic flow. DOT is working on logistics for two 12-hour road closures, which could begin as early as Today, July 8th. Check https://511.alaska.gov/ for additional road updates.

Temporary Flight Restriction: No TFRs are in place over the fire area.

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.

Click on this link for a PDF version of this map.

-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 Alas BLM ka 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.