07/02/15 11:30 am Kenai National Wildlife Refuge - Reopening of the Lower Skilak Lake Boat Ramp and Campground

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the reopening of the Lower Skilak boat ramp and campground and the Bottenintnin Lake day use area, effective immediately. These facilities have been closed since June 17 due to the Card Street Fire.

All of the Skilak Lake Road is now open for travel. Firefighting personnel and equipment are still working in the area and may be present along the road. Motorists are urged to exercise caution to ensure the safety of firefighters.

The fire remains active in some areas along the shoreline of Skilak Lake and the Kenai River. Visitors are reminded that smoke may be visible for some time, and snags, falling trees and ash pits pose significant hazards within the burned area.

The open fire burn ban remains in place for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Although surrounding areas have seen improvement to drought conditions due to recent rains, precipitation has been spotty and fire danger remains high throughout much of the Refuge.

For additional information, please contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office
during regular business hours at (907) 262-7021 or kenai@fws.gov

07/01/15 10:00 am Card Street Fire Update

FIRE STATUS Acres Burned:  8,876 Cause:  Human – Under Investigation Structures Destroyed:  11 Evacuations: None Closures:  west end of Skilak Loop Road Containment:  80%

RESOURCES Crews:   4 Engines: 3 Dozers: 0 Water Tenders: 1 Helicopters: 1 Total personnel:  approx. 150 Injuries: 19 (Sick, soft tissue, and heat related illness)

Incident Summary: The Card Street fire is in the marshlands and recreation area of Skilak Lake. The fire is established in a full suppression area of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and all actions are being taken to keep the fire at the smallest possible acreage. The fire has burned 8,876 acres since it began June 15 and is now 80% contained.

Current Situation:  Crews continue mop up and rehabilitate firelines around the perimeter. Fire personnel are using hand held infrared devices to detect pockets of heat that can’t be detected by the eye; they will be marked and extinguished. Isolated pockets of heat will continue to be seen in the interior of the fire.  A total of 150 personnel are assigned to the incident including 4 fire crews, 3 fire engines and 1 helicopters. Resources are being released when no longer needed to assist with firefighting efforts elsewhere.  Washington Team 3 will be transitioning to the local agencies tomorrow.

Burn Restrictions: Burn Closure Lifted on the Kenai Peninsula. Soldotna, Alaska -  By order of the Director’s Office the State Forester has lifted the burn closure on all state, private and municipal land on the Kenai Peninsula. Campfires, charcoal BBQ’s, warming, and cooking fires may be used.   At this time all federal lands are still under the closure order.  Kenai Peninsula citizens and visitors must be aware that the “Burn Suspension” is still in effect.  This covers the burn permit system of the Division of Forestry where debris piles and burn barrels are of concern.  Permits holders are reminded to phone the “burn permit call in number” at 907-260-4269 for updated information.  As the Fourth of July weekend approaches all citizens are reminded that the use of fireworks is not permitted on the Kenai Peninsula.   The Division of Forestry and Cooperating Agencies appreciate your cooperation. 

More information can be found at www.kpboem.com or http://akfireinfo.com/.

Weather Outlook: Temperatures are expected to top out at 66 degrees, with cloudy skies and sun breaks. Winds will be variable at 3-8 mph.

Closures: Skilak Lake Road remains closed from the west entrance at the Sterling Highway to milepost 9.3 at the Engineer Lake Overlook.  Lower Skilak Campground and Boat Launch and Bottenintnin Lake day use area remain closed. The road is open on the east end, to the upper Skilak Lake boat launch. Motorists are encouraged to please be cautious of changing fire conditions and fire personnel in the area.  Regular updates can be found on the Refuge Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kenainationalwildliferefuge and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Virtual Joint Information Center at www.kpboem.com. For additional information, please contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office during regular business hours at (907) 262-7021.

Injuries: There have been 19 injuries; Sick, soft tissue, heat related illnesses.

Cooperating Agencies: Alaska Division of Forestry, Alaska State Troopers, Kenai Peninsula Borough, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

07/01/15 2:15 pm The open fire burn ban remains in place for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The open fire burn ban remains in place for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Although surrounding areas have seen improvement to the drought conditions due to recent rains, Refuge lands have not.

This image is a map overlay of fire danger adjectives for today (7/1/15) created by Predictive Services that shows the dryness of surface fuels like trees and plants. The yellow and red areas are very dry. Wildfires in other parts of Alaska have also reduced the number of fire crews available to help should another fire start on the Kenai Peninsula.

The other image is a table from the Skilak Guard Station Weather Station showing all fire danger indices for the past 7 days. This shows extreme for the Duff Moisture Code (DMC), and also the Drought Code (DC). DMC predicts how hard it would be to control a new fire. Here's the scale: green = low (easy to manage fires), blue = moderate, yellow = high, orange = very high, red = extreme (extremely hard to control fires). The drought code is an indicator of how hard it would be to extinguish the fire, meaning it would burn deep into the duff and put up smoke for a very long time.

Please help keep the Kenai safe...leave the firewood at home this holiday weekend.

For more information, contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge at 907-262-7021.

07/1/15 11:15 am Chugach National Forest Urges Caution with Fire Over July 4 Weekend

Chugach National Forest Urges Caution with Fire over July 4 Weekend

Fire Restrictions Enforced, Stetson Creek & Juneau Lake Fires Contained

Anchorage, Alaska: Chugach National Forest wildland fire managers urge recreationists to be extra cautious with any open flame over the July 4 weekend. Just a spark can ignite a wildfire. Everyone has a hand in a safe summer season.

Cooler weather has enabled fire managers to reduce fire restrictions on the forest. Effective Tuesday, June 30, campfires, stove or charcoal fires are only allowed in forest campgrounds and designated picnic areas on the Seward and Glacier Districts. Campfires are not allowed at dispersed campsites.

Remember: You are responsible for the fires you start. Follow these guidelines to extinguish your fire completely:

• Allow the wood to burn to ash if possible.
• Pour lots of water on the fire and drown all embers.
• Stir the wet ashes and embers with a shovel.
• Scrape any remaining logs to remove embers.
• Make sure everything is cold to touch.
• If you do not have water, use dirt or sand by mixing in with embers.
• Do not bury the fire as it will continue to smolder and may start a wildfire.

Fireworks are illegal in Chugach National Forest. Citations will be issued for using fireworks. Violations of these prohibitions are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months or both.

Due to the hard work from firefighters and cooler weather, two wildfires near Cooper Landing are currently quiet. The 129-acre Stetson Creek fire was 100 percent contained June 30. The fire is located 1.5 miles south of the Sterling Highway at mile post 50 between the Russian River and Cooper Creek. The Juneau Lake fire is located five miles north of Cooper Landing near the Resurrection Pass Trail. At 580 acres, it is 80 percent contained and forest firefighters are monitoring it. They observed one smoke inside the fire’s perimeter June 30 and did not see any open flame. They do not anticipate growth on either fire but occasional smoke inside the perimeters may occur over the next several days.

Given the significantly decreased wildfire activity, the following forest areas are open:

• Cooper Creek North and South Campground
• Resurrection Pass Trail and Bean Creek Trail
• Romig, Trout Lake and Swan cabins along the Resurrection Pass Trail

The following closures remain in effect:

• Stetson Creek Trail
• Stetson Creek Fire Area (see map for information)
• Juneau Lake cabin along the Resurrection Pass Trail

For up-to-date forest wildfire information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/chugach or call 907.743.9500.

For statewide wildfire and fire restriction information, visit http://akfireinfo.com/ or call 907.356.5511.

Media Contact:  Morgan Warthin, Acting Public Affairs Officer, 907.743.9444, mwarthin@fs.fed.us 

06/30/15 2:25 pm State to Open Disaster Assistance Centers for Kenai Wildfires

State to Open Disaster Assistance Centers for Kenai Wildfires

Centers in the Kenai Peninsula Borough to provide information, take applications

JBER, Alaska — The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) will open a Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) for the state Individual Assistance (IA) Program for the Kenai wildfires July 7-8.

The DAC will take applications for state IA programs and provide information from other state and non-profit assistance agencies.

"I encourage those impacted by the Kenai wildfires to apply for individual assistance as soon as possible. Take photos of damage before you clean up and keep your receipts. The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management staff will be available at the DAC to answer any questions," Mike O'Hare, director of DHS&EM said.   

The center will be located at:

Sterling Elementary School

July 7-8; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Applicants may also apply by phone or online:

1-855-445-7131 until August 18, 2015

Online at ready.alaska.gov

Applicants will need to provide the following when applying for individual assistance:

• Description of damages and/or losses
• Home ownership documentation
• Insurance information
• Personal identification
• Proof of occupancy (utility bill)

Applicants who wish to apply for state assistance telephonically can call the IA hotline at 1-855-445-7131. The deadline to apply for IA for those impacted by the Kenai wildfires is August 18.

06/30/15 1:00 pm The use of fireworks and the sale of fireworks is prohibited in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Know your local jurisdiction's restrictions on the use of fireworks! All citizens are reminded that the use of fireworks is not permitted on the Kenai Peninsula. The cities of Homer, Kachemak City, Kenai, Seldovia, Seward and Soldotna may enact their own prohibitions.

What does this mean? It means that outside of city boundaries, only specific groups may be authorized to use fireworks for public displays as long as that group has a current permit issued by the borough mayor.

To know more, visit KPB Code 10.18 “Fireworks Control” at https://library.municode.com/HTML/13259/level2/TIT10HESA_CH10.18FICO.html