Additional crews arrived Friday from the lower 48 to work on the Ninetyeight Fire (#218) – the El Dorado Hotshots and the Grass Lake Wildland Fire Module. Though weather was sunny Friday with wind gusts up to 10 mph, no fire growth was observed.
Fire behavior on Friday continued to include creeping and smoldering, but no torching. Some smoke was visible on the north side of the fire. On Friday, crews were able to near completion of protection work on Alaska Native allotments, and also mopped up deeper into the fire perimeter between Mile 37-39 to secure line. Crews tied in at Mile 40 headed north and did not find any heat, and the southeast flank of the fire is in good shape.
Today, firefighters will work direct on fire line from Mile 35 heading east along the fire’s edge, and from Mile 35 north west to the military land boundary. Additional firefighters will work on the cluster of structures between Mile 37-38, with some crews working the fire’s edge back towards the east and others towards the west. Crews will likely complete protection on Alaska Native allotments today.
Some warming and drying could occur over the weekend which may increase fire behavior.
A Level 1 “READY” Evacuation is in effect for the Salcha River corridor (Upper, Middle and Lower Salcha River evacuation zones). Level 1 means “BE READY” for potential evacuation. Residents should be aware of danger in their area and monitor emergency services websites and local media outlets for information.
The evacuation map and other information can be found on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Operations website.
Text WILDFIRES to 67283 to receive text notifications or go to: smart911.com
Additional information on wildfires across Alaska, including the Ninetyeight Fire, can be found at: https://akfireinfo.com/ or by calling: (907) 356-5511.
Learn more at akfireinfo.com, and on Facebook (@BLMAFS).
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 