The 547-acre Starry Fire (#234) has reached 65% containment a week after the initial attack. The perimeter has been secured up to 50 feet deep on the west side, with crews cutting black spruce and jack straw, or tangled trees, to get rid of excess heat and fuels.
Friday, firefighters expect to have 100 feet “out cold” on the west side of the fire and 50 feet on the east side where there are large amounts of jackstraw to work through, slowing their pace.
Yesterday the fire established two landing zones for helicopter access on both sides of the fire. Today, the plan is to cut out a path between the two for easy access.
Engine E-2 is working on the slop to the south of the fire. At end of shift yesterday, there was only one visible hotspot remaining.
Crews will also be keeping an eye on the Lost Fire (#236) which was placed in “monitor” status on June 25th.
Thursday showed minimal fire behavior with smoldering and some smoke production from a spot fire on the south edge. The Mooseheart Mountain Type 2 Crew gridded the spot fire aiming to have it finished by end of day Friday. The rest of the crews worked deeper off the dozer line, further separating the fire from unburned fuels.
An aerial reconnaissance mission showed four potential hotspots within the Seventeenmile Fire (#258) and significant heat within the interior of the Starry Fire. Numerous rain showers are expected Saturday with isolated thunderstorms through the day. Some areas of the fire may receive an inch of rain which may help with these hot spots as the crews work their way in from the exterior.
Seven days after the initial attack, the Starry Fire incident management team continue to prioritize firefighter health and safety, especially as crews settle into the rhythm of working on a fire.
Torrey Short, incident commander for the Starry Fire, spoke about the importance of their continued efforts. “After this weekend, when it warms back up, we want to make sure it doesn’t blow out and make another run toward Anderson or Clear.”
The Starry and Lost fires were reported on June 20th. The Seventeenmile Fire was reported on June 21st.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 