September 5, 2019 4:15 p.m. Swan Lake Fire Operational Update

#SwanLakeFire With clear air today, helicopters, drones, and scooper planes are either in use or planned to be used today. A helicopter using a bucket has been used to support firefighters on the ground near where the fire crossed the Resurrection Pass Trail. Those crews have cut fire line around the fire's perimeter on the east side of the trail all the way to Shaft Creek. They completed work with chain saws yesterday and today have been finishing the last part of the line with hand tools. They will also be adding what we call "plumbing". Plumbing is a water source (in this case Shaft Creek), a pump (or more if needed), hoses and sometimes sprinkler heads. The water can be used to cool fire activity if things get too hot near the line or douse spot fires if an ember floats across the fire line.

Smoke may still be visible from time to time on the hillsides in the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area  and in spots along the
Sterling Highway until more rain and/or snow is received over the fire area.

Helicopters are being used to make bucket drops to the west of the Resurrection Pass Trail where steep terrain makes direct attack by crews on the ground too difficult. They are also being used to shuttle firefighters out of the Caribou Lake Fire this afternoon. A drone with an infrared camera flew that fire yesterday and although some areas of heat remain, they are within the fire perimeter. Full containment of the Caribou Lake Fire is expected by the end of the weekend.