8/23/19 12:28 p.m. Caribou Lake Fire update

For a pdf version of this update that you can print or email, click here. 

Fire Size: 848 acres
Containment: 20%

A community meeting will be held at the McNeil Canyon School (52188 East End Rd, Homer) on Saturday, August 24 at 3:00 PM.

On Thursday, clear skies allowed additional equipment and supplies to be delivered by helicopter to the firefighters working to contain the Caribou Lake Fire. Two water dropping airplanes, called Fire Bosses supported firefighters on the ground. The fire exhibited low-moderate fire behavior on Thursday. Fire activity was primarily on the east side of the fire and along the ridge top dozer lines.

The Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 assumed command of the Caribou Lake Fire on Friday at 7:00 am. One hotshot crew, a load of smokejumpers, and local firefighters will continue to hold and reinforce containment lines around the fire. Firefighters on the ground will continue to be supported by Fire Boss aircraft strategically dropping water. All of the firefighting efforts place firefighter and public safety as the highest priority, while protecting the nearby community of Caribou Lakes Subdivision. This is a full suppression fire, with the goal of 100 percent containment.

Weather: On Friday, smoke is likely to settle in nearby areas in the morning. In the afternoon. It will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 60s. Winds will be northeast at 5-10 mph in the morning, becoming southwest winds in the afternoon. In the evening, skies will be partly cloudy, with a low around 44°. On Saturday, expect sunny skies, with a high near 61°. Winds will be northeast around 5 mph, becoming south later in the morning.

Evacuations and Closures: None

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): None

North Fork Fire Update: The Alaska Division of Forestry (AK DOF), Kenai-Kodiak Area, is managing the North Fork Fire, located off the North Fork Road in Diamond Ridge near Anchor Point. The fire has remained at about 59 acres for several days due to the hard work of firefighters from AK DOF and Kachemak Emergency Services. The North Fork Fire is 75 percent contained.

Residents living along North Fork Road, north of the fire and in neighborhoods along the Diamond Ridge Road to the south, had been under READY notice because of the fire. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management will be lifting the READY alert as of 10:00 am Friday, August 23.

Resources: Hand Crews: 1, Dozers: 2,
Total Personnel: 28
Location: 25 miles northeast of Homer, AK
Started: 08/19/2019
Cause: Undetermined
Management: Great Basin National Incident Management Team 1
For more information:
Kenai Peninsula Borough:
www.kpboem.com
Alaska Wildland Fire Info:
https://akfireinfo.com/
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6539/
Information Line: 907-262- 4636 (INFO)
Air Quality: https://www.purpleair.com/map?#6.5/59.912/-150.555


For a pdf version of the map that you can print or email, click here.