Cooler Weather And Light Rain Moderate Mukluk Fire
Fire Has Now Grown To 7,426 Acres But Is Only 12% Contained With 219 Personnel Working On The Fire Rural Deltana VFD water tender on the Muk...
Fire Has Now Grown To 7,426 Acres But Is Only 12% Contained With 219 Personnel Working On The Fire
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| Rural Deltana VFD water tender on the Mukluk Fire. PC: J.Hale/AKCIMT KTUU Weather Said Thursday Night Heavy Rain Is Not Expected In Tok |
Cooler Weather and Light Rain Moderate Mukluk Fire in Tok, AK
Weather & Fire Behavior: Overnight, 0.10 inch of rain fell over many parts of the fire.
This will moderate fire behavior Friday morning, but activity is expected to increase again in the afternoon.
The forecast calls for similar conditions to Thursday, with cooler temperatures in the 60s and relative humidity increasing to 40–50%.
Isolated thunderstorms are possible, which could bring gusty winds and scattered showers, but significant rainfall is not expected over the fire area.
Despite the moderated weather, large fuels and deep duff remain dry and the fire continues to be active.
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Hazardous fire-damaged tree across driveway on the Mukluk Fire. PC: J.Hale/AKCIMT |
Highlights: On Thursday, an Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) module used an infrared-equipped drone to obtain more accurate mapping of the fire. This improved mapping captured fire growth that occurred over the past two days and provided a more accurate picture of the fire’s current size. While containment lines have remained unchanged, the increase in mapped acreage resulted in a decrease in the overall containment percentage. Please stay out of GO! evacuation areas to give firefighters the space they need to work and avoid the numerous hazards that remain in the area.
 Member of Yukon Wildland Fire Crew out of Canada hikes through thick black spruce on the Mukluk Fire. PC: J.Hale/AKCIMT |
Operations: On the western edge, firefighters will continue building a direct dozer line north, with the Midnight Sun Hotshot Crew and smokejumpers securing the perimeter behind the dozers with hose lays. Crews will also scout contingency lines west of the fire and north along the Alaska Highway. Along the southern edge, the Tanana Chiefs Type 2IA Crew and more firefighters will continue securing the perimeter and mopping up around structures. On the eastern edge, crews will continue constructing and securing direct line through heavier fuels.
Two smokejumpers secured two spot fires on islands in the Tanana River, and firefighters will continue patrolling for additional spots. Air tankers, scoopers, and helicopters will support suppression and structure protection efforts. Engines are patrolling the evacuated area to provide structure protection through the night.
