Big Su Fire Holding Steady
By Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
Jun. 24–High humidity, light wind, and a little rain helped firefighters hold the Big Su fire steady at about 9,400 acres on Saturday, according to the state Division of Forestry.
The fire isn’t controlled or contained, meaning it could expand with more wind or higher temperatures, said Glen Holt, spokesman in Palmer.
Nearly 200 people and three helicopters are battling the blaze at Trapper Lake west of the Susitna River, Holt said.
The effort Saturday was mostly an “air show,” with state forestry and military helicopters dropping water on the blaze, shuttling crews, and firefighters on the ground helping direct pilots.
“We hit it hard with water buckets,” he said.
The fire, which began south of the lake Wednesday, split Friday at a retardant line firefighters had placed in front of homes at the south end of the lake. It then began making its way up both the west and east ends of the lake.
The fire burned about halfway up both sides of the lake, Holt said Saturday evening after flying over the area. It was in no danger of jumping the river, he said.
One cabin south of Trapper Lake believed lost in the early stages of the fire didn’t appear damaged Saturday, though the surrounding area was destroyed, Holt said.
“They had done a good job with defensible space,” he said.
Firefighters so far have managed to save the 44 structures that surround the lake. The fire didn’t threaten cabins Saturday, and appeared to be moving slightly south.
“It was not very active,” he said.
Spokesman Matt Weaver said the primary mission of both ground and helicopter crews is to continue protecting the structures. A Type 2 management team from central Oregon arrived Friday night and took over fire response Saturday.
They set up a command post at Willow Elementary School and relieved the local incident command center set up at Deshka Landing on Saturday night.
The team is about 30 members strong and is made up of firefighters with a wide range of expertise and training.
In addition, two Type 1 hotshot crews from the Lower 48 arrived Saturday and are on the scene.
Seven Type 2 crews from Alaska villages like Huslia, Ruby and Fort Yukon are already in place, Weaver said. The Type 2 crews are experienced summer firefighters, although they have somewhat less training than Type 1 crews, he said.
Three additional Type 1 crews are on order from the Lower 48, but Weaver said there’s no word yet on when they’ll arrive.
Rain helped fire fighters contain a 60-acre wildfire north of the Yentna River 10 miles east of Skwentna, Holt said. They hope to have it controlled, meaning firefighters have built a safety line around the blaze and it can’t grow, on Sunday night.
The Troublesome Creek Fire off mile 139 of the Parks Highway and the Intertie Fire south of Larson Lake near the Bartlett Hills Ag-Project, are both contained and controlled, Holt said. The forestry division is monitoring those fires.
A complete suspension of open burning remains in effect for the region. Campfires are still allowed, but no burning of things like trash or yard debris is allowed, Weaver said.
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Find Alex deMarban online at adn.com/contact/ademarban or call 257-4310. Reporter Becky Stoppa contributed to this story.
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