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Shovel Creek Fires Update - June 30, 2019 Norm McDonald, Incident Commander Fire Informa,on: 907-347-6801 Email: 2019.ShovelCreek@firenet.gov Web: www.akfireinfo.com Inciweb: h"ps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6400/ Facebook: h"ps://www.facebook.com/AK.Forestry/ Size: 5,568 acres Containment: 0% Personnel: 550 Start Date: June 21, 2019 Cause: Lightning The Alaska Incident Management Team (IMT) will host a community mee0ng for the Shovel Creek Fire on Sunday, June 30 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Ken Kunkel Community Center pavilion or recrea:on hall (weather dependent) at 2645 Goldstream Road, Fairbanks, AK. On Saturday, hot and dry weather, con.nuous stands of black spruce, west winds, and steep slopes led to extreme fire behavior along the northeast por-on of the Shovel Creek Fire near the Chatanika River. Despite a strong direct a0ack from firefighters with support from aircra- (scooper planes, air tankers and helicopters with buckets), the fire spread eastward into Blueberry Creek and south toward Murphy Creek. This rapid fire growth towards nearby subdivisions prompted fire managers to recommend that Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Opera%ons raise the Evacua%on Alert for Mar$n and Perfect Perch subdivisions to a Level 3 (GO). The Evacua+on Alert for McCloud and Murphy subdivisions were raised from a Level 1 (READY) to a Level 2 (SET). An Evacua&on shelter has been established at Randy Smith Middle School (1401 Bainbridge Blvd, Fairbanks, AK). A temporary pet shelter is located at the Tannana Fairgrounds. Crews installed and tested water pumps, hoses, and sprinkler systems to protect structures along the banks of the Chatanika River. With point protec,on in place for the Mar,n Subdivision, firefighters con(nue assessing and preparing structures in the Lincoln Creek, Perfect Perch, Murphy and McCloud subdivisions. Firefighters mopped up, held, and improved containment lines established from a strategic firing opera.on along the south and east flanks of the fire. The successful firing opera2on created a fuel break on the east flank from 7 Mile Trail southward to Murphy Dome, and along the south flank from Murphy Dome westward to the 2009 Hardluck Creek Fire scar. On Sunday, firefighters will focus on holding the south flank of the fire and for-fy established containment lines. With an anchor point in place, crews and equipment will build containment lines to the east and north using exis7ng roads, established fire breaks and natural features. Structure protec)on will resume in all immediate areas impacted by the wildfire. EVACUATION NOTICES: LEVEL 3 (GO) Mar$n and Perfect Perch subdivisions LEVEL 2 (SET) Lincoln Creek, McCloud, and Murphy subdivisions LEVEL 1 (READY) Chatanika River corridor A Level 3 Evacua$on means GO! Evacuate now. Leave immediately. The danger in your area is current and you should evacuate immediately. Do not delay leaving to gather any belongings or make efforts to protect your home. Drive calmly and with special a"en%on to emergency vehicles. Do not block access to roadways for Emergency vehicles or other evacuees. This will be the last no#ce you will receive a/er evacua#on. “Check in” at an emergency shelter. Whether you stay ther or not, “checking in” will help others know that you are safe. Take pets to a PET Evacua6on Shelter. Do not call 911 for non-emergencies. Do not a/empt to re- enter the fire area un*l it is declared safe to do so. A call center is available for addi1onal informa1on at (907) 459-1308. Remember the 6-P’s; People, Pets, Pills, Photos, Personal (computer back-up info), and important Papers. WEATHER: A cold front is forecasted to move into the fire area Sunday a"ernoon, bringing we-ng rain to the fire area over the next two days. Prior to the frontal arrival, showers and thunderstorms are possible with gusty and erra4c winds, which could cause rapid fire spread. Temperatures will be cooler for the next few days with highs in the upper 60’s to mid 70’s. Hot and dry weather will resume as a high pressure system is predicted to build next week. SAFETY: An increase in fire ac#vity for several area fires is contribu#ng to increased smoke in the Fairbanks area. Residents in the area are asked to avoid the Murphy Dome area due to the firefigh5ng ac5vity and the poten5al for interfering with fire personnel. A Temporary Flight Restric*on is in place in the air space over the fire. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMS at h"ps://’r.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_0263.html. ###

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  • ShovelCreekFiresUpdate-June30,2019NormMcDonald,IncidentCommander

    FireInforma,on:907-347-6801 Email:[email protected]: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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