A strong aerial response to the Yenlo Fire (#166) slowed the fire’s growth, giving DFFP Pioneer Peak Hotshot Crew and Alaska Smokejumpers a chance to get on the ground of the remote incident Tuesday evening. A passing pilot reported the fire located approximately 41-miles southwest of Talkeetna and about 14-miles north of Skwentna. Helitack was launched from Palmer Area Forestry to locate the fire and once on scene deployed its firefighters and started bucket operations on what they observed to be a 20-acre fire actively burning in grass, brush, scattered spruce and standing dead spruce with single tree torching. A nearby cabin with heavy equipment was in the path of the fire. Helitack defended the values at risk as the fire passed by. Two single-engine water scooping aircraft and a retardant tanker along with Air Attack to coordinate the aerial response were requested. A load of smokejumpers and Pioneer Peak were ordered. An additional helicopter was dispatched from Fairbanks to assist in shuttling the crew and their equipment from Talkeetna to the fire. The hotshots, smokejumpers, and helitack firefighters worked until midnight cutting sawline, setting up pumps and building hose lays. Sawline has been constructed around 25% of the fire’s perimeter. 34 firefighters spent the night camped a safe distance from the estimated 52-acre fire.
Wednesday morning firefighters returned to the fireline continuing to cut sawline and assemble hose lays around the fire. This work will continue through the day. A helicopter will support the firefighters with bucket drops and shuttle additional equipment from Talkeetna.
An unstable weather pattern is forecast to move into the western Susitna Valley bringing afternoon showers and isolated wet thunderstorms. High temperatures in the upper 60’s with lows expected to be in lower 40’s This pattern is expected to last through the end of week.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 