The Funny River Fire in Alaska is now just under 124,000 acres, more than FIVE TIMES THE SIZE OF MANHATTAN ISLAND.
There is only 20 % containment of the fire. No rain expected until MAYBE Tuesday.
Evacuation readiness advisories for residents of Kasilof and Funny River Road (means get ready when we say run RUN!).
This is the largest Alaskan fire since 1947 and the second largest in their history.
As most of it is on Federal land they were initially told by the Feds to let it burn. Some local fire boss saw it approaching homes and a road and said (paraphrasing) Screw the Feds get on it. Unfortunately it may have been too late (this per what my kid has told me). It was only as of Friday that the Feds allowed bulldozers and Fire retardant to be used on the fire within Federal land. And although the fire management bosses are putting on a confidant face to this, firefighters that my daughter & son in law have talked to are of the opinion that it is not a matter of IF it jumps Sterling Highway, but WHEN. (which is not official of course).
The suppressed worry and not so suppressed anger in my daughter's voice is palpable.
She also tells me the fire is producing an odd phenomenon for her area -- lightning. The fire is creating it's own lightning in the pyrocumulus clouds. She grew up in Pennsylvania so lightning is nothing new to her (it is, in fact, one of the things she misses about home. Right up there with lightning bugs). But to her kids who have never experienced it before...
This ain't Sedona...
***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***
Per KSRM/Radio Kenai Facebook page evacuations have now been ordered for residents of Funny River Road from Mile 7 to the end of the road (north part of the fire)
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EVACUATION UPDATE #3: Homeowners living on both sides of Funny River from Mile 7 to Fisherman's Road are asked to evacuate now. Please check in at the Soldotna Sports Center.
OEM Hotline for current fire-related information, please call 907-714-2495.
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Crews are going to try a back burn to stop the fire there.
It is believed the two "prongs" of the fire on the east/right have now closed and the fire is 140,000 acres but there is no official word on that.
lots of muscle and machine, no small amount of luck and a huge dose of Divine intervention are needed here.
8 comments:
OMG! The map appears to show the fire is surrounding and about to close any escape route...the air quality must be extremely challenging. Praying folks are ready to leave - especially those closest to the fire inland. This is beyond nightmare stuff!
Our daughter lives in Kasilof. They've been under evac readiness advisory since Friday. Friday night some were ordered to evacuate but then rescinded when the fire died down a little because of cooer temps. It's back now, though.
Residents have been told to stay off the Sterling Highway (the one which looks like it will be surrounded and the one the firefighter referred to as not if but when it jumps the road). Instead the evac route is up Kaliforinsky (K beach) Beach Road, which is the road parallel to cook Inlet on the far left of the map.
No rain expected before at least Tuesday. So lots of muscle and machine, no small amount of luck and a huge dose of Divine intervention are needed here.
And surprise of surprises, the lamestream media is actually starting to report on it. If only just a little.
Looking at the map it occurs to me you may be talking about the east/right side of the fire. My reference is to the west/left side. On the East side if Bear Creek subdivision but that is lower and right on Tustemena Lake. What's about to be consumed in the east is primarily prime hunting land (fishing and hunting ARE the economies of these towns.)
The kid tells me there are moose and porcupines all over right now fleeing the flames. Has heard the same about bears but hasn't seen them herself yet.
Post updated. Evacs ordered in areas.
I have now seen blurbs, long and short (some even kinda sorta correct) on CNN Fox CBS and NBC today. TeeVee and print!
Somewhere somebody noticed something.
Imagine that.
Still praying for a miracle for each and everyone involved. Keep us posted.
Has your daughter's family evacuated at this point?
Has the weather changed, or are conditions still terrible?
My daughter's family and neihbors0 were under an evacuation advisory since Friday afternoon (their time). Some of their neighbors were evacuated briefly Friday night but then allowed back when winds changed. Winds have changed significantly enough now and fire crews made great progress on cutting a fire break between the fire and the town that the advisory could be lifted at least for now. The northern part of the fire is a much rougher situation precisely because the winds changed. About 1,000 people have evacuated there yesterday and still are. Churches and schools having potluck meals for these families. Free food and coffee for firefighters and evacuees.
The fire is now 158,600 acres (about noon today) and 30% contained. So still pretty terrible. But possibly some rain tomorrow and next few days. Still a very long way to go.
One fire chief described it as a whack-a-mole fire. Winds keep changing and the firefighters have to move from where they are to wherever the winds are now blowing to.
We've been to several events (graduations, picnics, parades and work) this weekend. People who know about it (we have KSRM Radio Kenai apps on our phones now to keep us updated) ask one of two questions.
Mostly folks who aren't parents of older children ask how they're doing up there.
Mostly folks who are parents of older children follow that question up with How in the hell are you sleeping right now?
And the response, of course, is not well.
Thank you all for asking and keeping them in thoughts and prayers.
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