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Fire update: 6 p.m. Sunday, August 25, 2019

AK Division of Forestry

Today, Alaska Division of Forestry responded to a fire in Bear Cove, about 18 miles northeast of Homer, toward the head of Kachemak Bay. It was a 30x30 area building platform on private property. When Forestry responded they found eight locals, on scene, suppressing the fire. The fire in Bear Cove is out.

The Caribou Lake Fire, 25 miles northeast of Homer, is 20 percent contained and is estimated to cover 900 acres.  Around 80 people are fighting the fire. The majority the heat of the fire is on the north flank.
A Temporary Flight Restriction is in effect for the Caribou Lake area.
Drivers out East End should be aware that Forestry is using a gravel lot on Basargin Road. Signs and  flags are on the road near the staging area.
A new map of the Caribou Lake fire is expected to be complete tomorrow, Monday.

The North Fork Fire: 6 miles northwest of Homer, is now 100 percent contained at 59 acres. Firefighters continue to mop up the fire.

KBBI’s Kathleen Gustafson spoke with  Public Information Officer, Sarah Saarloos from the Alaska Division of Forestry and with Bear Cove resident Kendall Kopecky
at 5 p.m. today, Sunday, for this Fire Update: 

Transcript:

KBBI:
Sarah Saarloos, Public Information Officer, how are things going at Caribou Lake?

Saarloos:
Okay, helicopters and firefighters will be using a portion of the gravel pit parking area on Basargin Road to shuttle crews and supplies in support of the Caribou Lake Fire.
We're asking people to avoid parking in the area when the helicopter and crews are moving equipment there. They are shutting a lot of hose and food and water, stuff like that out to the Caribou Lake Fire so that would help us out.

KBBI:
Okay, and what about any increased acreage or an increase in containment. Is it still 20 percent contained?

Saarloos:
 It is still 20 percent contained. Firefighters on the Caribou Lake Fire reported this afternoon that they continue to hold and improve existing control line and they will also be coordinating if we need any more water like aerial support like in the last couple afternoons to work the fire both from the air and the ground.

KBBI:
And still a temporary flight restriction, right?

Saarloos:
Correct, and we'll see that temporary flight restriction over the fire until we don't need to use the fixed wing or the tankers that we've been using on a daily basis now because they do need some turnaround time and there's just been a lot of activity both with helicopters and tankers on the fires.

KBBI:
Just to recap what you started with -  Forestry will be staging equipment on Basargin Road. If you are driving out east you'll see signs and flags.

Saarloos:
Correct.

KBBI:
And what about North Fork?

Saarloos:
The North Fork fire, now that it is a hundred percent contained. That doesn't mean that the fire is out. We still have people working on that fire doing that deep mop up.

We definitely don't want to rekindle the situation especially with the location, where that fire is near homes and property.

KBBI:
What does it mean to mop up?

Saarloos:
So they are stirring up the ashes, they're adding water. They're making sure that there's not any small embers or coals left  - just like what we want for a campfire say in a campfire ring, but imagine that in a 59 acre campfire.

KBBI:

I got confirmation from you earlier today that the same team that's at Caribou Lake responded to Bear Cove for a fire in the morning and found that the locals in Bear Cove had handled it.

Saarloos:
That's correct. We had some firefighters respond via boat. And then because we have so many eyes in the sky happening right now with the helicopter flying back and forth. They went over and took a look to make sure it wasn't anything that needed aviation response. We are ready for people who see smoke. They need to call it in and we have the staffing to be able to keep these fires small.

KBBI:
That is Sarah Saarloos, public information officer for the Alaska division of Forestry with updates for the Caribou Lake, North Fork and Bear Cove fires.

And now to Kendall Kopecky, Bear Cove resident, who was on scene at the fire
in Bear Cove this morning. Kendall Kopecky, what time did the fire start?

Kopecky:
About 8:30 this morning, one of the neighbors was going over to another neighbor's for coffee and saw an unusual fog over by one of the new constructions in Bear Cove.

KBBI:
What would you call the part of Bear Cove where the fire happened?

Kopecky:
In the outer cove out near Bear Island.
And when he went over and looked it was fire underneath the deck of the new cabin. He got on the radio and telephone and ten people in The Cove responded with buckets and shovels and we knew that was not going to work. So we got a Honda water pump and some line and started putting water on it and called Forestry to report the fire.

They sent a helicopter with four firefighters. We had the water hose already going for a couple hours. They were happy that we were there to put water on it. The situation's resolved. All is good here in Bear Cove.

KBBI:
Well, thanks so much Kendall for everything and also for being available

Kopecky:
It was an issue that the community came together and resolved very well.
             

 

Tags
Local News Alaska Division of ForestryNorth Fork FireCaribou Lake FireSarah SaarloosBear Cove FireKendall Kopecky
Kathleen Gustafson came to Homer in 1999 and has been involved with KBBI since 2003.