As portions of the Swan Lake Fire continue to smolder in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, new forest growth has already started sprouting near Watson Lake as seen here on July 24, 2019. (Courtesy Eastern Area Incident Management Team)

As portions of the Swan Lake Fire continue to smolder in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, new forest growth has already started sprouting near Watson Lake as seen here on July 24, 2019. (Courtesy Eastern Area Incident Management Team)

No further growth expected for Swan Lake Fire

Significant drying would have to occur before any increase in fire activity could take place.

No increase in fire activity is expected for the Swan Lake Fire for the remainder of the season, the Eastern Area Incident Management Team said in an update Tuesday.

The team, which has been monitoring the Swan Lake Fire, has completed 80% of its objectives as of Tuesday, and is transitioning control to a local Alaska Interagency Management Team, which will continue repair work and monitor the wildfire for any significant change in activity.

This week, crews are using helicopters to remove hoses, pumps, sprinklers and other equipment from remote locations in and around the fire area. This work is expected to be finished in the next few days. The majority of suppression repair work, including chipping brush piles and repairing containment lines, has already been completed. Within the last week the fire area received more than 2 inches of rain, which saturated the upper layers of duff on the forest floor.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

According to Tuesday’s update, significant drying would have to occur before any increase in fire activity could take place. Some areas within the fire’s perimeter are expected to continue smoldering into the foreseeable future, but the fire has not experienced any growth in acreage since July 22. Fire managers will continue to monitor the area by air until they are certain it poses no danger to any infrastructure.

As of Monday, the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in the area has been lifted. Construction zones, fog, and smoke along the Sterling highway could continue to cause delays in traffic, and motorists can find current road conditions at http://511.alaska.gov.

Although the management team will no longer be releasing daily updates, people can still call 208-391-3488 with any questions regarding the Swan Lake Fire.

More in News

Cracks split the siding outside of Soldotna High School on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
SoHi siding, Hope roof repair projects move forward

The Soldotna project has been reduced from its original scope.

Jacob Caldwell, chief executive officer of Kenai Aviation, stands at the Kenai Aviation desk at the Kenai Municipal Airport on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Aviation selected to provide air service to Seward

Scheduled flights between Seward and Anchorage will begin May 1.

Monte Roberts, left, and Greg Brush, right, raise their hands during an emergency meeting of the Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board’s guide committee at the Kenai Peninsula Region Office of Alaska State Parks near Soldotna, Alaska, on Feb. 25, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
KRSMA board pushes back on new guide stipulations, calls for public process

Stipulations 32 and 40 were included in an updated list emailed to Kenai River guides.

KPBSD Board of Education member Patti Truesdell speaks during a town hall meeting hosted by three Kenai Peninsula legislators in the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Chambers in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Education hot topic at local legislative town hall

More than 100 people attended a three-hour meeting where 46 spoke.

The Soldotna Field House is seen on a sunny Monday, March 31, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Field house work session set for April 9

A grand opening for the facility is slated for Aug. 16.

HEX President and CEO John Hendrix is photographed at Furie’s central processing facility in Nikiski, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Furie announces new lease to use Hilcorp rig, will drill this spring

A jack-up rig is a mobile platform that can be transported and deployed in different areas.

The ORPC proposed American Tidal Energy Project site is located at East Forland, Cook Inlet, just north of Nikiski, Alaska. Photo provided by ORPC
Marine energy developer pursues Cook Inlet tidal project

ORPC recently filed a draft pilot license application for a tidal energy project site near Nikiski.

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on May 7, 2020. (Peninsula Clarion file)
HEA announces rate increase effective April 1

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska on March 20 approved a request to increase their rates.

Sockeye salmon are gathered together at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Days expanded for commercial dipnet fishery

The fishery will be allowed to operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Most Read