Widespread rain in southern Alaska brought relief from smoky conditions and is moving northward. With the rainfall, the smoke is dispersing to the north, but smoke will settle in again overnight across northern Alaska. By tomorrow, smoke in the north… Read More ›
Sterling
Smoke outlook for 7/23 – 7/24: unhealthy air in some areas as smoke returns across Alaska
Heavier smoke returns to the Upper Yukon Valley and will primarily be moving south and west today, both from the large complex fires, as well as from the fires closer to Fairbanks and Denali. Some local areas will experience unhealthy… Read More ›
Smoke Outlook for 7/20 – 7/21: Weather moderating in many areas, diminished levels of smoke anticipated
Temperature is moderating in many areas of Alaska including the Upper Yukon Zone. Wind gusts up to 30 mph in the Upper Yukon Zone is expected for today and will have an impact to fire activity. Smoke is forecasted to… Read More ›
Smoke Outlook for 7/18 – 7/19: Smoke moving back into Southcentral communities
As activity at the Swan Lake Fire picks up, wind patterns are once again expected to push smoke into Cooper Landing and Sterling communities, typically during morning and evening times. Forecasters are calling for higher temps to begin making its… Read More ›
Crews continue firing operations to secure line on Swan Lake Fire
A reconnaissance flight Tuesday afternoon of the Swan Lake Fire showed an estimated overall two day increase of just under 3,000 acres, with the vast majority of growth to the north and northeast. The fire is now estimated at 15,648… Read More ›
Swan Lake Fire transitions to Type 2 incident management team; crews continue prep work
Fire growth on the Swan Lake Fire burning in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge was moderated by the cloud cover n Monday. Limited expansion occurred in the areas mostly to the north and northwest where the black spruce stands remain… 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 ›
Cooler, wetter conditions produce minimal growth on Swan Lake Fire
Firefighters benefitted from cooler, wetter weather on Saturday where the Swan Lake Fire is burning in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The moderating weather resulted in minimal fire growth, with the latest size estimate of 12,782 acres, an increase of… Read More ›
Warm, dry weather pushes Swan Lake Fire to more than 12,500 acres
The Swan Lake Fire in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge grew in size Friday, but firefighters were able to keep it from spreading south and west toward the Sterling Highway. As of Friday night, the fire was estimated at 12,564… Read More ›
Swan Lake Fire continues to grow; crews working to strengthen indirect lines
Yesterday, west winds pushed the lightning-caused Swan Lake Fire further east into the Dave Spencer Unit of the Kenai Wilderness, resulting in an increase in acreage of about 1,400 acres. The fire is now mapped at an estimated 8,400 total… Read More ›
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 