The Oskawalik Fire (#122), located about ten miles south of Crooked Creek, remains at 1,779 acres and is now 24% contained, thanks to the efforts of 104 personnel working the incident. The fire is burning in tundra and black spruce and continues to be managed under a full suppression strategy.
Fire crews made significant progress Thursday. The BLM Chena Interagency Hotshots and Division of Forestry & Fire Protections Initial attack crew Gannett Glacier, working from the north, have successfully connected with southwest suppression module #1, #2 and smokejumpers holding the southern flank. This tie in around the perimeter means the fire is now fully lined, and crews have shifted their focus to interior containment work.
With the edge of the fire secure, firefighters are now working 50 feet inward from the perimeter. This next phase involves wetting down all hotspots, followed by cold trailing which is a methodical check for heat using bare hands so the firefighters can feel the heat or gridding, where crews move in a pattern and using eyes ears and smell meticulously search for lingering heat. The goal is to ensure that no heat remains in that 50-foot buffer, making it far less likely for the fire to escape the line, even in windy or dry conditions.
Yesterdays weather brought dry air, heat, and wind but the line held strong. Crews will continue with securing 50 ft in today and monitor heat inside the fire.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 