Author Archives
-
Dramatic Wind Shift Pushes Shovel Creek Fire to the North
A dramatic wind shift produced by a passing thunderstorm Saturday night caused the Shovel Creek Fire (#319) northwest of Fairbanks to burn through an old retardant line and push north toward cabins along the Chatanika River, prompting an aggressive, late-night… Read More ›
-
Swan Lake Fire June 23rd: Canadian Scoopers Arrive to Support Fire Crews as They Work on Control Lines
Fire crews strengthened and reinforced firelines on the western and southern edges as they worked to increase the width of the control lines and continued extensive mop-up operations. Northwesterly winds pushed the fire further to the east of Mystery Creek… Read More ›
-
Shovel Creek Fire Update
The Shovel Creek Fire (#319) burning northwest of Fairbanks was estimated to be 400 acres as of Saturday morning. The the lightning-caused fire started late Friday afternoon and is located approximately 3 miles north of Murphy Dome. Fire activity increased… Read More ›
-
Swan Lake Fire: Sterling Community Meeting Live Stream Video
The Swan Lake Fire Community Meeting was held at the Sterling Community center on June 22nd 2019 in Sterling, Alaska. The Sterling Community Meeting was streamed on the Alaska DNR- Division of Forestry (DOF) Facebook page for those who could… Read More ›
-
Swan Lake Fire June 22nd Update: Mop Up Continues on Southwest Control Line
Yesterday more than 200 community members attended a fire information meeting with a complete update at the Sterling Community Center. The live stream of this meeting has been shared on the social media platforms listed here so that interested persons… Read More ›
-
Swan Lake Fire Video Update by Operations Chief with Fire Behavior Photos
Operations Chief Chris Wennogle gives an update on the status of the Swan Creek Fire. Crews are working to establish and connect fire lines in the Mystery Creek Road area as the fire continues to burn through the thick black… Read More ›
-
Swan Lake Fire: More Crews Arrive & Sterling Community Meeting 6pm Tonight
The Alaska Incident Management Team is hosting a community meeting tonight at the Sterling Community Center at 6pm. Incident command staff will be discussing the current fire situation and the anticipated fire movement and behavior over the next several days…. Read More ›
-
Swan Lake Fire: Heavy Fog & Smoke Cause Early Morning Traffic Delays On Sterling Highway
Thick fog and heavy smoke from the Swan Lake Fire is causing delays this morning between milepost 60-71 on the Sterling Highway. Motorists are urged to use caution and drive with headlights on.
-
Swan Lake Fire crews successfully burn and hold southwest containment lines
Warmer conditions with light and variable coastal winds pushed the Swan Lake Fire to grow 3,000 acres with perimeter growth primarily in the southern and eastern flanks. The fire buring in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is now estimated at… Read More ›
-
Reconnaissance Flight Confirms Work on Swan Lake Fire
As expected, the cloudy day yesterday allowed firefighters on the 12,782-acre Swan Lake Fire to make good progress. The southwestern firelines nearest the community of Sterling were further strengthened and widened as crews strategically tied work with the existing pipeline… Read More ›
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 