Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve - Wildland Fire Update - Chakina Fire (U.S. National Park Service)

Date: July 6, 2009

2223 acres as of July 5, 2009
Monitored on July 5th, the fire was 100% active, running, torching and spotting up to 150 feet.
Western edge of the fire has crossed the Chakina River.
Smoke column remains very visible from McCarthy, having pushed up to 8,000 feet.
There are no structures threatened at this time.

National Park Service and Division of Forestry fire staff will monitor the fire by mapping it from the air, document fire behavior observations as needed and access structure protection needs if it becomes necessary.

Smoke is expected to stay in the Copper River Valley through Tuesday due to light and variable winds. Overall air quality will be good to moderate with some areas experiencing periods that are unhealthy for sensitive individuals. Keep in mind that worse conditions generally occur during the nighttime to early morning hours. During the day, air quality typically improves temporarily. Visit www.dec.state.ak.us/air/am/smoke.htm for information on how you can protect yourself from smoke.

Wildland fire is an essential, natural part of the boreal forest. The Chakina fire is burning in a Limited Management Option where the exclusion of fire may be detrimental to the fire
dependent ecosystem. In this area, fire occurrence is essential to the biodiversity of the resources protected and the long- term ecological health of the land.

Be sure to visit http://www.nps.gov/wrst/parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm for the most up-to-date information, photos and maps.

For More Information:

Mark Musitano, Wrangell-St. Elias Fire Management Officer, EMail, 907.455.0650, (c)907.978.4468
Eric Veach, Wrangell-St. Elias Chief of Resources, EMail, 907. 822.7212
Division of Forestry in Glennallen, 907.822.5534