Six Hotshot crews from Oregon and Montana arrived in Alaska this week to help suppress wildfires burning in the state.
- Lewis and Clark
- Lakeview
- Redmond
- Vale
- Wolf Creek
- Winema
Lewis and Clark is on the 300-acre Caribou Creek Fire 20 miles northeast of Fairbanks, while the other five are on the Swan Lake Fire which has burned 23,200 acres on the Kenai Peninsula 32 air miles southwest of Anchorage.
Alaska-based crews are also committed to fires in the state, including the Chena and Pioneer Peak Hotshot crews, plus 11 Type 2 crews.
At least 13 individuals from the lower 48 states are serving in overhead positions in Alaska.
The Swan Lake Fire is approximately 12 miles long and nearly 4 miles wide and continues to grow each day on the eastern flank as weather drives the fire primarily to the east and north. The addition of three type 2 Alaska hand crews as well as the recent influx of the Redmond, Wolf Creek, Vale, Winema and Lakeview Hotshot crews have bolstered efforts to establish direct and indirect lines on the critical east and southeastern perimeter lines.
Below is an 80-second video update by Operations Chief Chris Wennogle about the Swan Lake Fire.
