It was another active day for both the Globe Fire and firefighters working to protect property from fires in the area.

The Globe Fire (#253) is now part of the Grapefruit Complex, named after a nearby rock climbing spot. It has significantly burned the area around these limestone rocks and spread east on Saturday toward the White Mountains National Recreation Area, which has a fire closure that includes the Wickersham Dome Trail.

On Friday, the Iver and Slate fires merged into the Iver Fire (#249), now estimated at 14,649 acres and burning 10 miles east of Minto Lake. It threatens a Native allotment and is quickly spreading through spruce trees toward the Elliott Highway, where the Globe Fire is already present. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline lies between the two fires, with the Iver Fire about 7 miles southwest of the Globe Fire’s crossing at mile 39.

The complex also includes:

• The Eagle Fire (#306) is estimated at 40 acres and was backing, creeping and smoldering in a mixture of spruce and hardwoods. It wasn’t immediately threatening any known sites of value. This lightning-caused fire has been burning since late Friday night.
• The Wilber Fire (#308) was fire was reported at about 2 p.m. Saturday. It is about 4 miles west of mile 51.
• The Tatlina Fire (#292) was reported by a passing motorist east of mile 51 Elliott Highway.
• The Noordor Fire (#192) is estimated at 7,195 acres. This lightning-caused fire has been burning on BLM-managed land since June 20.
• The Fossil Fire (#115) is not exhibiting any fire activity or smoke, but will still be grouped into the complex. It is located in the White Mountain National Recreation Area.

Firefighters, including smokejumpers, two hotshot crews, and the BLM Type 2 CATG crew from Yukon Flats, are working to clear brush and set up sprinkler systems on structures threatened by the Globe Fire. There are 94 personnel assigned to the fire, with the Silver City (New Mexico) Hotshot Crew arriving Sunday. The Eagle Lake Wildland Fire Module from California arrived at the fire Saturday night and is tasked with structure assessments along the Elliott Highway from mile 39 to Livengood 32 miles north.

The fire was estimated at 9,342 acres Saturday. Heavy smoke prevented ground or aerial surveys and made flying aircraft for suppression efforts hazardous.

Smoke continues to hamper aerial support for firefighters working on the ground who are tasked with set up protection measures on more than 40 structures, Native allotments and Globe Creek Camp. A few days ago, the fire crossed the road north of Globe Creek Camp and south of a subdivision of homes, leaving structures intact.

A GO Evacuation Order is still in place for people within mileposts 39-48.  

The section of the Elliott Highway near the Globe Fire reopened late Thursday night. Expect significant delays between mileposts 25-50 if fire activity increases as it did Thursday afternoon. Please exercise caution and patience, turn on your headlights to help ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area. Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities contracted workers and a pilot car are helping keep the flow of traffic open.

Check https://511.alaska.gov/ for road updates.

Warmer and drier conditions are predicted to continue through the weekend. There is a chance of isolated thunderstorms and possibly some rain in the afternoons. Winds could be gusty and erratic around the thunderstorms.

Read the more information about the Globe Fire at https://akfireinfo.com/tag/globe-fire/.

For more information, call the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Information Office at (907)356-5511.

-BLM-

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, P.O. Box 35005 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, Ak 99703

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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with a $18.1 million inventory. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.

Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service

Tags: Globe Fire, Grapefruit Complex