Alaska News

Wary residents watch Kenai, Tyonek wildfires as crews ask for more help

Crews fighting two large wildfires that started Monday in Southcentral Alaska got a break from the wind, but residents outside Soldotna and Kasilof remained on edge Wednesday while the northwest Cook Inlet villages of Tyonek and Beluga were running low on supplies.

A new fire started Tuesday near the Yukon River, where authorities said early Wednesday afternoon they expected it to hit the Dalton Highway later today, near the Trans-Alaska Pipeline as well as several structures.

No evacuation orders were in place for any communities on Wednesday, though Tyonek residents who evacuated Monday and returned to their homes Tuesday night were told to be ready to leave again if necessary, authorities said.

Winds died down overnight, at least on the Southcentral fires, slowing their progress but leaving a heavy blanket of smoke across parts of the region.

Funny River fire threatens cabins

The Funny River Horse Trail Fire on the Kenai Peninsula had swelled to more than 20,000 acres by Wednesday morning, throwing burning embers ahead of its north flank nearly to Funny River Road, where residents were dealing with smoke so heavy it turned the sun blood red, along with falling ash.

One family said flames came within a half mile of their cabin on the Kasilof River but they had managed to hold off the fire.

"We're out there with hoses and pumps all night," Brian Portersfield said Wednesday morning.

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The 37-year-old Portersfield had stopped off at Kasilof Mercantile with his mother, Dawn Lesterson, to reload on supplies before heading back to fight the fire at their cabin. Three other cabins nearby were also threatened, Portersfield said.

A number of people in Kasilof complained Wednesday about a lack of information about the fire Wednesday morning. By afternoon, the Kenai Peninsula Borough had set up a hot line for public questions: (907) 714-2495.

Asked early Wednesday afternoon if residents should be worried, fire spokeswoman Michelle Weston said, "I would just say they should be thinking about what their family emergency plan is."

There were nearly 50 people working the fire Wednesday, with additional village hotshot crews en route. Air tankers are dropping water. Additional engines from the Central Mat-Su Fire Department were headed down to help with structure protection.

Fire officials said they expected a jet loaded with hotshot fire crews to arrive from the Lower 48 on Thursday.

The fire overnight had made a run toward Funny River Road but was halted by hotshot wildland fire crews and firefighters from Central Emergency Services, Weston said.

That northern flank remained an "area of concern" Wednesday, along with the Sterling Highway community of Kasilof and the Bear Creek subdivision, where about 10 structures were within five miles to the east of the fire, she said.

The fire started near Funny River Road on Tuesday and was pushed by wind south to Tustumena Lake, where it spread east and west along the shore.

Meteorologists are forecasting westerly winds that fire officials hope will push the blaze farther into the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and away from populated areas. They are urging residents near the fire to clear debris and firewood away from their homes and have a family evacuation plan just in case.

Firefighters managed to save the historic Nurse's Cabin on the refuge at the mouth of the Kasilof River with a combination of retardant and sprinklers, Weston said.

Yukon fire heads toward pipeline

A fire near the Yukon River originally reported Tuesday at 10 acres or so was "significantly" bigger Wednesday and expected to hit the Dalton Highway sometime this afternoon, state Division of Forestry fire information officer Pete Buist said.

The fire has the potential to spread to several structures as well as the pipeline, Buist said. He noted that numerous fires have burned in the area and over the pipeline since at least 1976. A representative of Alyeska Pipeline Co. didn't immediately return a call for comment.

The fire started about three miles east of the highway but west winds were pushing it toward the road, Buist said. A helicopter and two loads of smoke jumpers were doing structure preparation in the area of the Dalton Highway bridge across the river.

One of the structures is Yukon River Camp, a seasonal restaurant, truck stop and hotel located halfway between Fairbanks and the Brooks Range. The seven employees working at the food and fuel stop are monitoring the fire, said Matt Atkinson, Fairbanks coordinator for the center, which is operated by Sukakpak Inc.

The pipeline is on the same side of the Yukon as the fire, Atkinson said.

High winds are pushing the fire and sending smoke down the river all the way to Rampart, he said, "which absolutely affects aviation."

Tyonek fire moves toward Beluga

Meanwhile, the fire between Tyonek and Beluga had grown to 1,500 acres by Wednesday morning. The fire had moved away from Tyonek and was approaching Beluga but stopped in a bog outside the village, a resident said.

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Fire commanders gave Tyonek residents who evacuated Monday the OK to return home during a meeting Tuesday night. But many people, especially families with children, remained Wednesday at the Tyonek Lodge outside the village, at fish camps on the beach or in a timber camp, said Tyonek tribal administrator Donita Slawson.

Fighting a fire off the road system made for logistical issues. Slawson was busy Wednesday morning trying to find a way to get vehicle fluids -- gasoline, motor oil, steering fluid -- to Tyonek by air as well as more food for displaced local and fire crews that are expected to double the local population soon.

The Tyonek Native Corp. is collecting food for air shipment to the village.

Beluga resident Kaydee Scarola said things were "looking good" on the northern end of the fire, despite a sudden wind shift Tuesday evening that pushed flames toward that village about 10 miles north of Tyonek. The fire made it to within about two miles of Scarola's log home, but higher humidity around 3 a.m. and easing winds settled down the flames, Scarola said.

The fire stopped at a bog south of the village, though spot fires have ignited south of her and even in spruce trees perched on tundra islands, she said.

Given unpredictable weather conditions, the fire still poses a threat to Tyonek and Beluga as well as the Chugach Electric Association power plant north of Beluga and area natural gas lines and infrastructure, according to an Alaska Interagency Coordination Center update.

About 90 people are fighting the fire, according to the update. Two village crews are expected to arrive today.

Low humidity, windy conditions and unseasonably warm weather triggered the spate of early wildfires that has commanders scrambling for people and air power.

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Commanders on the Tyonek fire have requested five Type 1 crews from the Lower 48 as well as more aircraft. Officials overseeing the Funny River fire have a long list of critical needs including five more hot shot crews, eight dozers, 10 initial-attack crews with five strike-team leader crews and water scooping planes to get water from Tustumena Lake.

Story reported by Devin Kelly in Kasilof and Zaz Hollander in Wasilla. Contact Devin Kelly at dkelly@adn.com. Reach Zaz Hollander at zhollander@adn.com or 907-352-6705.

The Tebughna Foundation has started an account at Wells Fargo to accept donations for food and other supplies for displaced Tyonek residents and firefighters. The account number is 775 854 3065.

Zaz Hollander

Zaz Hollander is a veteran journalist based in the Mat-Su and is currently an ADN local news editor and reporter. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. Contact her at zhollander@adn.com.

Devin Kelly

Devin Kelly was an ADN staff reporter.

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