Swan Lake fire

         Yesterday’s sunshine and warm weather sparked some fire activity on the Swan Lake Fire but the majority was well inside the fire perimeter. Some fire activity was noted near the north shore of Skilak Lake on the southern end of the fire, southeast of the Upper Skilak Lake Campground.

Crews continue to “mop up” around recreation sites within the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area and along the loop road into the area.

A cool weekend with some scattered rain showers helped slow the progress of the Swan Lake fire. Total acreage count remained steady over the weekend at about 160,000 and more than 700 personnel remain on the fire.

The Swan Lake fire is closing in on the three month mark, and now more than 700 personnel are on the scene, working to fully extinguish it.

School was cancelled in Cooper Landing Tuesday, as the Swan Lake fire pushed farther to the east, and crossed the Resurrection Trail north of the Sterling Highway Monday night. Crews spent Monday doing back burn operations intended to keep the active fire off the highway, which had been the case Sunday night.

Emergency officials have developed a transportation plan as firefighting efforts continue to close the Sterling highway for long stretches.

         The resurgent Swan Lake Fire continues to burn south of the Sterling Highway, within the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area. As of Sunday night, the fire measured 150,264 acres burned.

Temporary delays of the Sterling Highway remain possible. Closure information is available at 511.alaska.gov, kpoem.com, and on Facebook at KPB Alerts. Heavy firefighting equipment will be on the highway. Driving with more caution than normal while on the highway is advised.

          The Sterling Highway was closed again this morning, but smoke and flames from the Swan Lake Fire could change that.

Traffic moved in both directions on the Sterling through the Upper Kenai River corridor yesterday where fire encroached over the weekend, but the DOT closed it again this morning because of dense smoke and flames near the roadway.

         The Sterling Highway was closed again overnight and this morning after smoke and fire halted traffic yesterday evening.

Both lanes of traffic between Adkins Road at mile 77 and the intersection of Resurrection Pass Trail at the Sterling Highway at mile 53 remain halted.

Fire activity and the related dense smoke are expected to continue for some time, and the situation could last through well into today (Tuesday), according to authorities.

The Swan Lake Fire, which erupted with activity Saturday night, crossed the Sterling Highway and reached Skilak Lake by Sunday evening. The fire crossed the Upper Kenai River near the Kenai River Trail.
The Sterling Highway closed from mile 53 to 75 midday Sunday, but reopened to two-way traffic at noon today. Traffic heading south on the Sterling Highway Sunday was backed up a reported 15 miles yesterday.
Also closed is the Upper Kenai River between Skilak and Kenai lakes.

The Swan Lake Fire was almost out when strong winds whipped it back to life Saturday night. Hot spots flared up and the fire jumped the Sterling Highway at Milepost 60 around 2 a.m. Sunday. The wind-driven blaze is exhibiting fast-paced crown-burning activity, according to Mike Hill with the Swan Lake Incident Command.
    The fire has caused the closure of the Sterling Highway from miles 58 to 75, as well as Skilak Loop Road due to encroaching flames and dense smoke. The Kenai River from Kenai Lake to Skilak Lake is also closed.

As predicted, a cold front moving onto the Kenai Peninsula from the north, bringing with it strong winds and dry air, has literally fanned the embers of the Swan Lake Fire back into life. The weather caught the firefighters with less than 20 personnel staffed to the fire. At its peak, over 500 firefighters battled the blaze.
    Residents of Cooper Landing were issued a Level 1 (least serious) Evacuation Alert to be ready to leave, in case one is needed.

Air quality deteriorated overnight and by Saturday morning was reported to be at hazardous levels in Cooper Landing because of increased smoke from the Swan Lake Fire.
    Brentwood Reid, the incident commander on the fire, said it flared up in the Thurman, Mystery, and Dike creek drainages due to a cold weather front moving over the peninsula from the north, which is bringing with it winds as high as 30 mph.

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for the interior of the Central Kenai Peninsula for parts of this weekend.
    Originally given for today (Friday), the watch, now for Saturday, is in response to expected hot, dry, and windy conditions. North winds with gusts 30 to 45 mph, relative humidity as low as 25 percent, and high temperatures in the 70s are expected.

The 160-square-mile Swan Lake Fire that scorched the black spruce forest and muskeg northeast of Sterling this summer is still holding on. Only 16 firefighters are currently assigned to Swan Lake, most in reseeding and repair work, however helicopters are still in use to cool off hot spots that pop up.
This week several such flare-ups occurred on the hillside above the Sterling Highway near Upper Jean Lake and the Skyline Trail.