Rain is expected to spread across the Kobuk Valley where the nine fires of the Goldrun Complex continue to smolder and show little fire activity. While rain is anticipated, crews continue to provide protection for Alaska Native allotments, structures and values at risk.
An unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, set a record Wednesday when it was flown over the Onion Fire (#433). The flight was the furthest north a UAS has been used for wildfire management by a federal land management agency, according to members of the Rocky Mountain Regional UAS Module.
Rain continues to reduce fire activity and aid firefighters in their efforts to protect Alaska Native allotments, structures, and other values at risk in the Goldrun Complex. Located in the Kobuk Valley between Kiana and Ambler, the complex consists of nine fires started by lightning that have burned a combined 32,183 acres.
Wetter weather has arrived in the Kobuk Valley where the nine fires of the Goldrun Complex lay between Ambler and Kiana, an area that had not received significant precipitation since late June. This change in weather reduced fire activity and aided firefighters in their efforts to protect Alaska Native allotments, structures, and other values at risk.
The Wyoming Incident Management Team will hold a community meeting at 1 p.m., July 15, at the Ambler School (109 Ambler Drive, Ambler, AK 99786). Fire mangers will discuss updates for the Goldrun Complex and be available to answer questions.
Continued warm, dry weather has aided the growth of the fires that make up the Goldrun Complex. The eight fires, which were started by lightning in an area between Kiana and Ambler in the Kobuk Valley, increased their acreage by a combined 5,441 acres since yesterday.
A Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) arrived in Ambler yesterday to begin management of the eight fires in the Goldrun Complex. The lightning-caused fires are located between the communities of Kiana and Ambler in the Kobuk Valley.
A Type 3 incident management team from Wyoming is scheduled to take command of a complex of eight wildfires burning between Kiana and Ambler in the Kobuk Valley at 6 p.m. today. Some members of the team will be based in Ambler, while others will support them from Fairbanks.
Ambler will see an influx of firefighting personnel in the coming days as efforts ramp up to manage a group of fires burning between Kiana and Ambler in the Kobuk Valley. Eight of these fires have been grouped into the Goldrun Complex, which will soon be managed by a Type 3 Incident Management Team from Wyoming.
Today, cooler weather and windy conditions out of the north will continue to push flames and fire growth in the Galena Zone, which encompasses Western Alaska from the Yukon River north to the North Slope. The Galena Zone also recorded 1,202 lightning strikes on Monday.
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 