6/24/19 Expect Travel Delays on the Sterling Highway

Expect Travel Delays on the Sterling Highway: 

#SwanLakeFire 

Due to an increase in fire activity of the 32,300 acre Swan Lake Fire, pushed by a north-northwest wind is estimated to be 2 miles from the Sterling Highway near Sterling, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula. Firefighters were moved to safe areas as smoke obscured the location of the flaming front. In the interest of public safety the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team asked for traffic to be delayed between Mileposts 58 and 75.

As the Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Department of Transportation were moving into place it became apparent that the fire would not reach the highway Sunday evening and traffic was allowed to resume. The weather has been hot and dry with persistent winds from the northwest. This hot and dry weather pattern is expected for the next several days. The public needs to remain vigilant.

 At the request of fire managers, Homer Electric was asked to de-energize the transmission line that connects Bradley Lake Hydroelectric facility to the rest of the Railbelt utilities. This action will not affect consumer power on the Kenai Peninsula or utilities to the north. It is unknown at this time when the line will be reenergized.

INFORMATION SOURCES:
Fire Info Line: (208) 391-3488
Borough Call Center: 907-262-INFO
Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6387/
 Kenai Borough Facebook: facebook.com/Kenai.Peninsula.Borough/
Alaska Fire Service Facebook.com/BLM_AFS
Kenai Peninsula Borough Blog kpboem.com
Alaska Fire Blog akfireinfo.com