Monday, June 15, 2015

There's a fire in the neighborhood

Photo by Stefan Hinman//Matanuska-Susitna Borough​
The #sockeyefire near Willow, Alaska, the evening of 6/14/15.
UPDATE: A little scare last night  6/16 when lightening set off a couple of fires much closer to the East Pole. Washington state Hotshot team had them controlled by morning.  Still waiting and watching but the big fire hasn't grown much in the past two days.

There's a fire going on out there. It grew to 6,500 acres in a single day and still burning hotly the second day. As many as 50 structures have burned and more than 200 people evacuated.  It is near the roadside settlement of Willow, 70 miles from Anchorage by road, and is in an area with a large number of dog mushers. As matter of fact, Vern Halter, a musher in the area and a borough assemblyman, told a press conference volunteers had moved between 400 and 500 sled dogs away from the path of the fire in a short period of time the first day.

There are a lot of people with very serious problems. Mine is very minor compared with them but this fire could threaten the cabin at the East Pole. For now I am going through a thought process here. That fire started well south of the pole, pushed by a northerly wind, but apparently the wind shifted to come more from the south which aims it right at my cabin. Parks Highway, the major route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, now closed at Mile 87. Crow flies, that's about 30 plus miles from the cabin. Yesterday the fire was burning at about half a mile per hour. Mentally now going through packing for a quick trip in there to get what I can. Trailer is hooked up and the four-wheeler and that trailer loaded aboard. Chain saw fueled and ready (to get past downed trees) Other than that and a rifle I think all I need is basic trail gear, tools, survival stuff in small backpack and hit it.

In my favor is that fire will have to jump a power line right-of-way that is about 100 feet wide. Also from the direction it is coming it would have to burn downhill to get the cabin, but not so parts of the trail. If I can get past the highway closure I can be in and out in about 3 hours. If I get caught I can probably make it to the Talkeetna River. Also going through an inventory of what's there that I really need and it's mostly things I really WANT, which is different. Most of my stuff that I would want is photos, some books, memories, that kind of stuff. Can only think of one thing I really need. So I will watch the fire and keep weighing things against each other, but in the meantime will be packed and ready so I can just jump in the Jeep and go.

About all I really need is that 16-pound solid steel Sotz wedge splitting maul that can't be replaced. Of course it is the one thing most likely to survive a fire.

A major contributing factor is that we have been hot, dry and windy for the past week with at least another week of it coming. To give a little perspective, Alaska is about 2/3 the size of the Lower 48 states combined.  About 2/3 of that area is under a fire watch now, more than 300,000 square miles. Meanwhile, I watch every source of information to check the progress of the fire in case I have to take off in a hurry. Updated Tuesday morning, the forecast predicted northeast winds  Tuesday and Wednesday turning easterly Thursday with some clouds showing up. That saves the East Pole for now, but not so good for the folks in Willow. Thinking I will save this list I made of what I wanted to rescue and bring that stuff back next time I go out there.

Just a thought watching the fire. There isn't much I can do from here without being in the way. But, I am sure proud to be an Alaskan today watching how people are helping people.

I have been posting information about the fire all day on Facebook, maps, warnings, updates and not going to repeat them here, but this is a link to my page which is open to the public.

Also here is a photo gallery from the Alaska Dispatch News
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