ShovelCreekFiresUpdate-June30,2019NormMcDonald,IncidentCommander

FireInforma,on:907-347-6801 Email:2019.ShovelCreek@firenet.govWeb:www.akfireinfo.com Inciweb:h"ps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6400/Facebook:h"ps://www.facebook.com/AK.Forestry/

Size:5,568acres Containment:0%Personnel:550StartDate:June21,2019Cause:Lightning TheAlaskaIncidentManagementTeam(IMT)willhostacommunitymee0ngfortheShovelCreekFireonSunday,June30beginningat6:00p.m.attheKenKunkelCommunityCenterpavilionorrecrea:onhall(weatherdependent)at2645GoldstreamRoad,Fairbanks,AK.

OnSaturday,hotanddryweather,con.nuousstandsofblackspruce,westwinds,andsteepslopesledtoextremefirebehavioralongthenortheastpor-onoftheShovelCreekFireneartheChatanikaRiver.Despiteastrongdirecta0ackfromfirefighterswithsupportfromaircra-(scooperplanes,airtankersandhelicopterswithbuckets),thefirespreadeastwardintoBlueberryCreekandsouthtowardMurphyCreek.ThisrapidfiregrowthtowardsnearbysubdivisionspromptedfiremanagerstorecommendthatFairbanksNorthStarBoroughEmergencyOpera%onsraisetheEvacua%onAlertforMar$nandPerfectPerchsubdivisionstoaLevel3(GO).TheEvacua+onAlertforMcCloudandMurphysubdivisionswereraisedfromaLevel1(READY)toaLevel2(SET).AnEvacua&onshelterhasbeenestablishedatRandySmithMiddleSchool(1401BainbridgeBlvd,Fairbanks,AK).AtemporarypetshelterislocatedattheTannanaFairgrounds.

Crewsinstalledandtestedwaterpumps,hoses,andsprinklersystemstoprotectstructuresalongthebanksoftheChatanikaRiver.Withpointprotec,oninplacefortheMar,nSubdivision,firefighterscon(nueassessingandpreparingstructuresintheLincolnCreek,PerfectPerch,MurphyandMcCloudsubdivisions.

Firefightersmoppedup,held,andimprovedcontainmentlinesestablishedfromastrategicfiringopera.onalongthesouthandeastflanksofthefire.Thesuccessfulfiringopera2oncreatedafuelbreakontheeastflankfrom7MileTrailsouthwardtoMurphyDome,andalongthesouthflankfromMurphyDomewestwardtothe2009HardluckCreekFirescar.

OnSunday,firefighterswillfocusonholdingthesouthflankofthefireandfor-fyestablishedcontainmentlines.Withananchorpointinplace,crewsandequipmentwillbuildcontainmentlinestotheeastandnorthusingexis7ngroads,establishedfirebreaksandnaturalfeatures.Structureprotec)onwillresumeinallimmediateareasimpactedbythewildfire.

EVACUATIONNOTICES:

LEVEL3(GO)–Mar$nandPerfectPerchsubdivisionsLEVEL2(SET)–LincolnCreek,McCloud,andMurphysubdivisionsLEVEL1(READY)–ChatanikaRivercorridor

ALevel3Evacua$onmeansGO!Evacuatenow.Leaveimmediately.Thedangerinyourareaiscurrentandyoushouldevacuateimmediately.Donotdelayleavingtogatheranybelongingsormakeeffortstoprotectyourhome.Drivecalmlyandwithspeciala"en%ontoemergencyvehicles.DonotblockaccesstoroadwaysforEmergencyvehiclesorotherevacuees.Thiswillbethelastno#ceyouwillreceivea/erevacua#on.“Checkin”atanemergencyshelter.Whetheryoustaytherornot,“checkingin”willhelpothersknowthatyouaresafe.TakepetstoaPETEvacua6onShelter.Donotcall911fornon-emergencies.Donota/empttore-enterthefireareaun*litisdeclaredsafetodoso.Acallcenterisavailableforaddi1onalinforma1onat(907)459-1308.Rememberthe6-P’s;People,Pets,Pills,Photos,Personal(computerback-upinfo),andimportantPapers.

WEATHER:AcoldfrontisforecastedtomoveintothefireareaSundaya"ernoon,bringingwe-ngraintothefireareaoverthenexttwodays.Priortothefrontalarrival,showersandthunderstormsarepossiblewithgustyanderra4cwinds,whichcouldcauserapidfirespread.Temperatureswillbecoolerforthenextfewdayswithhighsintheupper60’stomid70’s.Hotanddryweatherwillresumeasahighpressuresystemispredictedtobuildnextweek.

SAFETY:Anincreaseinfireac#vityforseveralareafiresiscontribu#ngtoincreasedsmokeintheFairbanksarea.ResidentsintheareaareaskedtoavoidtheMurphyDomeareaduetothefirefigh5ngac5vityandthepoten5alforinterferingwithfirepersonnel.ATemporaryFlightRestric*onisinplaceintheairspaceoverthefire.PilotsareadvisedtocheckNOTAMSath"ps://'r.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_0263.html.

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