The Swan Lake Fire, as seen from the Mystery Hills, burns Wednesday, on the Kenai Peninsula. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

The Swan Lake Fire, as seen from the Mystery Hills, burns Wednesday, on the Kenai Peninsula. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Swan Lake Fire grows overnight

As of Tuesday night it had reached 3,665 acres in size

The Swan Lake Fire continues to burn in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge northeast of Sterling, and as of Tuesday night it had reached 3,665 acres in size — an increase of 1,000 acres from the previous day. The fire was caused by lightning last Wednesday and is burning in a limited protection area within the refuge.

Division of Forestry Public Information Officer Sarah Saarloos said that the area where the fire is burning is dense with highly flammable black spruce and has not seen a natural fire since 1947. As a result, fire managers from the Alaska Division of Forestry are working with refuge personnel to actively monitor the fire while allowing the natural burn process to occur.

The fire is about 2.7 miles north of the Sterling Highway at its closest point, but Sarloos said that the fire has mostly spread away from the highway to the northeast and northwest and is not likely to threaten any critical infrastructure or populated areas. According to a Wednesday, June 12 update from the Division of Forestry, the area between the highway and the fire consists mostly of wetlands and sparse patches of fuel that will limit its spread. A type 3 incident management team from the Division of Forestry is developing plans to ensure the protection of communities and mitigate smoke and fire impacts to the Sterling Highway.

“If it does start growing towards the highway, we have operational resources ready to be deployed to keep the highway open,” Saarloos said.

A smoke advisory is still in effect for the Sterling Highway from Mile 65 to 75, and motorists are advised to slow down and use caution driving through the fire area. Due to the ongoing fire activity, several access routes within the refuge have been closed to the public: Mystery Creek Ranch Road, East Fork Moose River north of Watson Lake and the Enstar Pipeline right-of-way from the refuge boundary east of Sterling to the Chickaloon River. The closures will remain in effect through July 11, and anyone with questions regarding the closures can call the refuge at 907-262-7021.

For the latest information on the Swan Lake Fire and other wildfires on the peninsula, visit www.akfireinfo.com or www.kpboem.com.

More in News

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump verges on victory, picking up Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has captured Pennsylvania, the biggest prize of the seven battleground… Continue reading

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Unofficial results for the 2024 general election

Preliminary, unofficial election results as of 9:55 p.m.

Poll worker Carol Louthan helps voters submit ballots at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Bjorkman, Ruffridge, Elam and Vance lead in election night results

Several residents said that they came out to vote because they knew this election was “a big one.”

Most Read