Wildfire threatens North Pole homes
Originally published Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 4:46 p.m.
Updated Friday, June 5, 2009 at 10:21 a.m.
Digg
delicious
Facebook
Mixx
Reddit
Stumble It!
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A roiling column of smoke with flames reaching 20 feet and higher flashed through a tinderbox of black spruce Thursday afternoon, threatening homes outside North Pole.
By evening, fire officials said the 25-acre blaze had not burned any homes and there was no order for residents nearby to evacuate. Access to homes off Repp, Quincy and Brock roads was reopened about 7:30 p.m., except for Repp Road between Brock and Hollowell, state Division of Forestry information officer Maggie Rogers said.
There was no word on when residents might expect access to that area.
Hot shot crews, smoke jumpers and other firefighters from throughout the Fairbanks North Star Borough were on scene well into the evening, gaining ground access to spot fires across Brock Road as air tankers ceased retardant drops.
The fire threatened homes Thursday afternoon as it surged through the wooded Heritage Park area, across Brock Road from a subdivision.
“It is a heavily populated area,” Rogers said. “Right now, we’re lucky. There are a lot of personnel from several different agencies. So far, it’s been a successful (fight), but it is burning in a highly flammable environment.”
Traffic backed up for at least a mile Thursday afternoon as visible smoke drew attention. Curious drivers pulled over to watch helicopters dip orange buckets into a beaver pond next to Badger Road, a staccato beat filling the air.
Some people took pictures, while others talked on cell phones.
Alaska State Troopers and North Pole police blocked Repp Road, only allowing access to people with young children or elderly family members needing help. A man who had a 17-year-old son and a couple of dogs at home near the fire was turned away. Little information was available to residents, who were anxious to check on homes and family members but couldn’t.
Charles and Kathy Hamby live on Christine Drive, a few blocks in on Repp from Badger Road. Their home was safe as wind pushed the flames north and east into woodlands, as they watched aircraft douse spot fires.
“We got a call there’s a fire in the area,” Charles said. “It was all big, black smoke.”
A firefighting aircraft nearly clipped the top of the couple’s trees as it dove by the nearby blaze.
“I just hope no one was burned out,” Charles said.
Power was cut to the area as a precaution during retardant drops, Rogers said, and was expected to be restored Thursday evening. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire officials said they expect the fire to be contained tonight.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
So much for the article about the fires not igniting considering the weather.
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/content/news/flas...
Its spreading bad to
thanks hobbes...most accurate info so far
Was wondering where that smoke smell was coming from - I'm off CHSR. Pretty windy. :(
Saying an extra prayer tonight
We were out at the Chena Lakes.....yea a little too close for comfort. I dont live to far from there. Good Luck Guys!
it's burning right next to a subdivision
We were just down that way as the first crews were getting on-scene and saw a woman driving a car out of the area covered in the red slurry dropped by the fire fighting aircraft. I hope that she (and her home) are OK.
I hope every one is ok, and please stay clear let the crews do there job
Keep the updates coming! stuck at work
Right there with you soaringeagle... My home is right out there in its path...
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
I'll be praying for all who are involved. Godspeed firefighters.
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
Folks, the Alaska State Troopers just sent out a press release asking folks to avoid driving in the area of Badger and Repp roads due to the fire. They've got a bunch of roadblocks set up in the area, and the extra traffic is causing problems for them.
thanks James I'm out this way and it helps to have whatever you get.
Just spoke with Maggie Rogers, Information Officer for the state's Division of Forestry. After double-checking with the Fairbanks Area Forestry Fire Management Officer, she said homes are absolutely not on fire at this time. That's of about 6:05 p.m.
the power is out here on badger rd. thank goodness 4 phone with internet.
If you have power and water it is a good idea to start watering the brush around your house.
Wet leaves and wet brush does not burn very well!
The TV news showed a pix of a house in Ca... It survived because the owner had put impulse sprinklers on the roof.
They can shoot water 20+feet.
The last time we had fires around here several cabins out in the Chena Hot Springs area were saved by keeping the brush wet.
Looks like the fires are out and the aviation fire crews are standing down.
I'm near Peede/Brock and just got the power back on.
Newsminer Staff - thanks for the updates. Please post something when it's ok for us to go back to check on our homes. I want to commend everybody on keeping a cool head during the evacuation - very controlled, orderly and courteous. My hat's off to the Firefighters and Troopers - you're great!
Just got my power on too. Power plant down and wildfire om. Smokey here off of peede.... Very close to Brock.
Thanks for the updates! I just got power back on...
But where were the RADIO updates? Without power I cannot access the NewsMiner for good info...
I was flipping stations and didn't hear any news. It would have been good if this stuff was broadcast and we knew what radio stations to listen to. Where is out local PUBLIC RADIO station (89.9) when we need it?
Marketdaddy,the way I see it, it's the people updating us. I don't see any updates from the Newsminer Staff. Thanks to all of those that posted comments. We need more i-reporters.
I just came out of the area- Brock road was closed to all but emergency traffic as of 6:45 PM. No houses were on fire.
The fire was mostly contained on the East side of Brock road in a forested area- no homes. As much as 30 or so acres were consumed.
Multiple agencies were on scene- Forestry, Troopers, SAVFD, NSVFD, FWWFD, NPFD, NP police and others... All crews are doing a great job. Even the NewsMiner's John Wagner- working harder than any photographer I know.
There were multiple air drops of retardant, both from fixed wing bombers and helicopters.
Khaden - the DNM did post updates directly from staff fighting the fires. Accurate info.
The DNM updates are in the comments - maybe that's why you missed it?
So when do we get the "all clear"? Are they sure it is completely out?
We really need more specifics on this and other incidents.
I wish James Brooks would give us another update! Scarey!
Archer, when we hear about it, we'll let you know. Update coming.
According to Maggie Rogers, information officer for the Division of Forestry, the best way to hear when you can return to homes is through the media; she's keeping us posted regularly.
We'll try to see if there's another number people can call for up-to-the-minute information.
Thanks James...at that was something!
Archer- this is a fairly large fire. There will be a lot of work over the next day to put out all the hot spots. With luck- and if the wind does not toss embers around that cause more fires, my best guess is residents will be allowed back in this evening. But things could change.
The fire burned right up to Brock road in one spot. But it seems to have been contained at the slough on the East side of Brock.
Some residents did have grass fires in their yards due to the embers blowing around- everyone should be extremely vigilant to watch for fire outbreaks from embers.
Fire danger right now is EXTREME.
Rumor is that this fire was started by kids playing with propane torches... This certainly was not caused by lightning.
Troopers have removed road blocks, except along Repp Road between Brock and Hollowell.
That area is still closed due to firefighter safety, said Maggie Rogers, information officer for the Division of Forestry.
A press release will be coming out to that effect shortly.
Residents with questions can call her directly at 356-5511.
Rena and James - THANKS!!!!
I spotted the fire when it was campfire size.It took off before the FD could respond.
Nice air show. That pilot can really fly that copter.
Indeed, thank you!
Let's be patient, nobody's intentionally keeping info from us. Think of the catastrophic consequences if people make rushed or uninformed announcements - because the people are clamoring for information. My guess is that folks are still "engaged" or in harm's way and don't have time to answer questions.
Is USAF involved in the fight? I'm in Moose creek and every 15 minutes or so another large plane flies right overhead.
Good Luck to those fighting and best hopes to those who live in the area.
To all the very brave people who fought this fire, I congratulate you!!!!
It is very comforting to know you all will come to our need so quickly. You are truly our local heros.
THANK YOU !!!!!!!
Ditto AlaskaO's comment
COME ON RAIN!!!!!!!!! Lotsa water, lotsa water!
To the residents, my prayers are with you people! Hope everyone stays safe and the pets do too! (as well the wildlife). BUMMER, that's going to stink all summer.
Is there a list of websites that can be looked at for updates? I spent quite a long time searching the internet for any additional information sites. This blog was the best I could find. What about in the future, and specifically if there was minimal info coming out on the radio as mentioned above. I searched the Ak State Troopers, Alaska DNR, BLM...
Thank you goes to all the fire fighters, law enforement, and forces amongst our community that acted fast and proctected our community.
Thank you!
Hoodyk
Lil Sister - that's a good question. Maybe DNM staff will make that an article and list those things. Right James? Rena?
Yea what is this fire under control now or getting worse. With these winds it is not making things easy, I am sure...
http://fire.ak.blm.gov
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/links.php
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/newsroom.php
I've been watching the article for updates. The press release from earlier hasn't been updated yet.
Kind of hard to get DNM updates without power. I guess that $100 wind-up radio I got for Y2K really was a waste if the radio stations weren't broadcasting information. Although, I suppose I could have asked the hooligans cutting through my back yard trying to get to Brock Road what was going on.
Here is a link to some footage of the fire in North Pole. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTj5m6Brt...
If that don't work just YouTube North Pole Forrest Fire. Please let me know if the link works or doesn't. Thanks
I'll second the three links melo put up. The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center does a great job giving an overview of the fire situation in the state, and they're pretty good about giving regular updates even though I imagine they're probably busy fighting the fires. (http://fire.ak.blm.gov/)
If you Type Rebelbaq in the YouTube search bar you can see three other vids of the fire in North pole as well.
Our thoughts are with all of you folks in North Pole. Everyone stay safe. And a huge thank you to all who are working to bring the situation under control.
Thank God everyone is safe. I hate to think what would have happened if a similar fire hit in Two Rivers or Haystack or other populated areas that don't have residential fire service. It is time to revisit areawide fire service, esp in subdivisions. No one expects comparable service to town, but there is no reason that volunteer substations could not be funded and set up. Annexation is not the answer for folks living further out--too many intervening properties to get approval from.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcaZWf3Nc...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnp_Zhcde...
The other three links to the YouTube Videos of the fires in North Pole. Sorry still kinda learning this stuff. Thanks!
Sorry the second link got messed up. Here it is.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fps0wnZeYy0
Looks like they are just making sure that it doesn't spring back up. There are still troopers with roadblocks toward Repp Road but I haven't heard any planes going overhead for a couple of hours now.
Great job to all the folks that fought that one. It could have been really bad in that location. I know it had to be one heck of a scramble to knock that one down. I hope no one lost any major properties.
Pat
I'm about three miles (if you draw a straight line) from this fire, and I'm pretty sure I won't be getting very good sleep tonight! Scary stuff. My thanks go to all of those fighting the fire and providing support. Hopefully it does cool off a little tomorrow and rain, as the forecast suggests.
Thanks to our heroes on the ground on in the air the nightmare is finally over but lasted for hours... I even started to pack important stuff especially family pictures in case we will have to evacuate...of course my pets were my priority. But it is so sad, so hard to decide what to take or to leave behind...
Smoke was all over our heads and the smell was strong... The power was off so it was quite hot inside the house. We are on Badger Road and Nordale... What almost turned to be a real disaster is now over and the power is back on... Thanks once again to our Firefighters! I just hope no one has lost a home, or even someone or something they love...
I heard the sirens about 3:30 and then looked up to see flames way above tree line. Response and action by the fire crews was impressive although the residents in the subdivision were left to figure out things themselves. Most of us watched and hoped the fire wouldn't cross Brock Road since there is quite a fire break there. When the flames started appearing in one of the yards, and then the yellow shirts started showing up, people really got concerned. Tough part was that many people were just returning home from work and found their access to their homes blocked. One fellow walked in and came out of his house a few minutes later with his rifle and what appeared to be his tackle box. Now, there's priorities. Others were putting valuables in a motor home, and many had their cars ready with their children placed in their car seats. Bummer about the animals. I looked around to see if there were any animals penned or tied in yards as they would be at risk. I didn't figure that homes would be lost so long as the firefighters had water available. The helicopter really helped douse the flames that had crossed Brock and were heading towards a couple of homes. Although that water bucket looked pretty tiny compared to the big flames in the background. One family was on their roof and hosing it down with water. Neighbors were helping each other and sort of guessing what they should do...stay, leave, watch, assist? I guess the fire guys were sort of busy fighting the fire, but a little more information & guidance would have been helpful for those homeowners.
That section of woods was a very special area for many locals. Used to be great berry picking before the 4-wheelers trashed it. The winter trails have always been handy and allowed access to just about any other trail system in the area. Lots of beautiful spruce stands and wildlife habitat. It is Borough land and there was, maybe still is, a plan on file for a subdivision, an elementary school and preservation of the trail system. I know that because i was part of the citizen's group who helped with it. Guess charred woods will be more useful as firewood and building logs, now. Also is a good reminder to have a good firebreak around your home, as most of these homes do.
As i watched the fire, i appreciated the assistance of the fire crews. I don't mind paying taxes for their help. That's what it's meant for, and today, we got our money's worth.
i am very glad to hear that peoples houses are somewhat ok..i was at that area to and at one point it looked as if it was gunna jump roads thank goodness it didnt,,anyways i was gunna say i come out of sentry in northpole at around 1-2 and i see smoke lots of it i say to myself man thats a big fire,, im driving through the round abouts and wat do i see,, i see 2 state troopers just sittin and 1 forestry truck sittin all talkin and im thinkin to myself why arent they doooiiinng anything come on guys maybe its just me and they didnt know about it but u can see it clearly from north pole but like i said its not my job so i could be in the wrong but atleast in the end they are they best to help us and im thankful for it
I drove my 4-wheeler through the area and all of the homes appeared to be fine at this time - even the ones closest to Brock : )
I hope everyone comes out ok!
Oh I'm mad now. Earlier today I posted information from my phone as I was across the road from Repp by a woman at the scene with me who was an "official". She gave me information about houses being lost so I posted that info here since people were asking for updates. I see the Newsminer removed my comments & rightfully so, but you can bet that I'll be calling the agency she said she worked for to complain!
I truly apologize to anyone who read my misinformed comment...
great job on those videos RageNRebellion :) its always good to see different views of whats going around the area
Thanks and your very welcome Siamiam, Kinda crappy quality though.
I would like to say a huge THANK YOU and God Bless you all, to the Forestry workers and all the Fire Fighters who came out and fought the huge fires that were threatening our homes in North Pole today. At one stage my grass in the back yard was on fire and this was very quickly dealt with by these amazing people who put their lives on the line to help us today. They took time to be very reassuring and professional whilst working in the inferno that spread across the road from my home. They are a credit to their companies and the State of Alaska.
big props and much respect to all those who helped fight the fires today.
I do not want to get to deeply into where I work or what I do, but Hobbes007, you and melo sure gave info on the best links for folks to go to. FDNM, especially James and Rena have done a wonderful job keeping people informed about the situation out there. I was out at Brock road tonight and I think the firefighters are doing a wonderful job working to contain the blaze. There were chainsaws buzzing and engines keeping watch where the fire was hottest and had spotted across Brock road earlier in the day. It looked like it will be kind of a nasty mess to clean up, with all the little birch and spruce trees in the fire area. Certainly it will be a long night for everyone out there. I am going to get to sleep in my bed, but will be back at it early in the morning. Again, FDNM, you have really stepped up to the plate through the efforts of James and Rena in keeping the public informed. Maggie also does a fantastic job for the govt. for which she should be commended. Have a good night everybody.
Folks, it's not just me and Rena; there are a lot of people who just update the stories to keep you all informed. Don't just wait for us to comment; most times, it's the story that's updated.
Yeah, I think we all know there are lots of people doing the work but it's fun to pretend that you are there simply for the benefit of all of us who post and that you have no life except to cater to our needs and wants. :)
Please be sure to thank everyone there and all who were in the chain of communication.
Thanks for the good work out there! seems alot of people had their hand in putting this fire out. It looked very organzied from what we could see. I hope not one was hurt or put out tonight. And I really hope it wasn't horseplay that started this fire.
Early this afternoon,(I think it was 3 in the afternoon) I was driving home on Plack Road and see lot of peoples leave out of Hollowell because I was tried to find out if that fire was close to my home and it wasn't. But I did prayer for the peoples that live close to that area and hope they make out safe and all houses make is ok. Thankful for firefight and firefight plane and helicopter that help put it out. And I been prayer for peoples to get back to their home tonight.
The fire came across the road into my back yard and many neighbors showed up with extinguishers to help out. Others were more than glad to use the rakes, hoes, and shovels I had on hand. With no power the garden hose wasn't much help but then the little yellow men showed up and soaked the area for me as well as the back of my wood shed. Thanks to all who said prayers on our behalf.
My house is the blue ranch in the first youtube video from ragenrebellion.
Maggie Rogers here. Unfortunately there is a technical error for posting the latest update at the website http://fire.ak.blm.gov. That is the site to go to for wildland fire information in Alaska. Current The 8:30 update for some reason keeps showing an error and doesn't get you anywhere right now so I am posting it here. I was not aware of this until later tonight, sorry for the delay:
Update on Fire #221
Fire #221 was reported to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center at 3:19 p.m. It is an estimated 25 acres and is located north of Repp Road and east of Brock Road, burning on Fairbanks North Star Borough lands. As of 7:30 Repp Road is blocked between Brock and Hollowell. Human safety and property protection are the priorities. Power is being restored after it was shut off for the air tankers to drop
retardant this afternoon.
There has been no evacuation order and no structures have burned. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fairbanks Area Forestry expects the fire to be contained tomorrow evening. Containment means there is a fireline or hose around the perimeter. Firefighters continue to work towards this goal.
Good progress has been made on the fire, thanks to the efforts of the
Steese, North Star, and North Pole volunteer fire departments, Forestry helitack and fire engines, Chena and Midnight Sun Hotshot crews, the North Star crew, smokejumpers, air tankers and fixed wing aircraft, Fairbanks North Star Borough personnel, and State Troopers. Fire personnel are currently putting in fire line, laying fire hose around the perimeter (there are several water sources in the area), and they will be there all night keeping watch over the fire.
With the continued potential for there to be fire aircraft in the area, private and commercial pilots are asked to stay clear for everyone’s safety.
Smoke from the fire has abated as firefighters and aircraft have worked to knock down the flames. Smoke in the area is not only from Fire #221, it also is drifting from fires burning in the eastern portion of the state and
Canada. For air quality information please visit:
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/air/smokemain...
Conditions are warm and dry in interior Alaska and along the Alaska Canada border and smoke may persist in the Fairbanks North Pole area for several days.
Information will be provided as it is available. Please continue to call (907) 356-5511 for the most current update.
##
I am still up. The smoke is back and getting heavy. I know some of that is the "weight of night air". All of the professionals on the scene today did a great job. They are still there watching. The danger has not gone away, it has just lessened. I am keeping my animals in the house for their safety and my mental health. At least I know where they are if stuff turns. Already moved irreplaceable stuff to a different location. Again, thanks to everyone for the hard work- you guys rock!
Thank you, Maggie, for giving us the latest update.
Thank you first & foremost to ALL who are working on this fire. Whether it's fighting it out in North Pole, or keeping ppl updated with news. Also, I would like to thank everyone on here for keeping us all updated. I am actually back in WI visiting family and obviously was quite worried when I heard of this happening while I'm away. Our home is in Nelson/Hurst area. Glad to hear that everyone is ok, and continue to pray that the fire will be contained hopefully by this evening! So again, thank you to all who have helped keep me informed while I'm away from home. Oh and all the videos on youtube were very interesting to watch.
Bring on the rain!!!
We live off Brock and I will be heading home at 7A.M. Will give an update on what I see when I get there.... Providing they don't stop me from getting to my house and they don't cut our power again.
Remember to start wetting the brush around your house!
NOW
It takes about 3 days to soak it and for the leaves to absorb the water.
If a fire starts the power will go off, as mentioned in a prior post.
Then these fires get going-- embers come down miles away and start a new fire.
Looks like a hot summer is in progress like 04/05!
Can anyone tell me how the Attla familie on Whitman Road is doing ?
I'm in Germany but they are friends of mine and I visited them last march . They have a lot of dogs in that area and i'm concirened about them and the people . Hope everyone is doing fine . I'm with you all ... Peter
Hi all, looks like the fire was 99% contained between the non inhabited land between Brock And Repp. The fire did jump the road in a few spots but was caught before it got to the houses. I put out a few hot spots around my house as I'm sure others did, but it's much clearer this morning than it was last night. Probably be a few days before it's "safe". Until then vigilance is the word for the day.
Many,many thanks to all the firefighters and others who've helped our community. Take care and be safe
How did the fire start?
wow i cant believe this already has so many comments. well i live on marigold which is a road almost literally across from repp and me and some of my friends were riding our bikes to my house when we stopped to watch the fire and we had seen firebomber planes 100 ft off the ground and its just crazy. and then they turned power off on marigold all the way back to houses near badger road elem. and then the helicopter came with the water bucket and dipping it in the slew(?correct spelling?) and then pouring it into the fire. it was just crazy and then there was ash and smoke everywhere
Just lots of smoldering down there now. I can't believe what a good job they did knocking the fire down. The land is just thick with spruce and right across the street from several houses. Could have been a major disaster.
slough
Did the Fire Authorities pull KFAR down for an hour right after 4PM?
That Dukes guy said he had important fire information then KFAR went off the air. Sort of reminded me when every TOM Dick and Haystack resident called in with uncontrolled information after that wildfire went crazy.
The ensuing chaos of information caused wild rumors, but was better than the "nothing" from the various Governments.
Yesterday the same thing happened, except that KFAR went dead, and then the Interactive Fire Screens were also dead. Ms. Rogers said "technical" error -????? at 8:30pm when they finally figured it out 4 hours after the worst peak. Hmmm that is dangerous!
But as the juice was turned off no one in the immediate area could have used the internet anyway.
This didn't prevent the wild rumors though-- One merchant said 5 houses burned at 4:30pm -where did that rumor come from?
So the information feed is another story in itself.
What failed?????
Dogwatcher - Nothing failed. Anytime a hot, fast moving fire moves through a heavily populated area without injuring anyone or destroying homes, it is an overwhelming success.
I'm sure this has been stated numerous times, however, I will say it again. It was DIFFICULT at best to learn about dangers/updates resulting from this fire. With the electricity turned off it was impossible to have communication to outside, unless you had a cell phone with good reception. The radio message which was heard very infrequently, gave little to no information. Unless you were sitting in your vehicle it was impossible to use the radio, as the power had been shut off.
I guess this gives us a second chance to take a good look at what we may encounter if a natural disaster hits our area. We need practice!!
When I received a frantic call from my minor child that she had been informed there were houses burning down and the fire was close to ours, I was in town. I immediately started driving back toward North Pole, as did MANY others, and heard nothing about it on the radio. When I called the Fire and State Troopers, they both reported they had little information for me, however, assured me if my home was in danger, there would be fire men and police men knocking on my door. That gave me little confidence in the situation.
Get rid of them meth labs, they are a real fire hazard.
Saw the whole thing: flames and all: ALMOST reached a friend's house, but ground crews got the fires out that jumped Brock.
One question:
What is "roiling" column of smoke??
lol @ nice guy ~ i hope whoever started that fire feels bad
Redstone- The Whitman area is OK. So all of the residents there are fine.
Auf Wiedersehen. Und Dank für Ihr Interesse.
THANK YOU to all the men and women - firefighters, police, communications, media and others that helped to keep this from being a catastrophic disaster.
I must disagree with the idea that no one would have been able to hear anything anyway. There are wind up/solar radios, cell phones (we DO get reception), cars with working radios, some folk have generators, computers on battery--some with remote connectivity. We had a wind up radio (FM, AM, shortwave). Only one station had any information, and it was infrequent and basic. With my cell, I checked the web, the blm site, and the information I got was from the comments on the DNM--some of which were (accidentally!) in error.
Now, let me say that THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE EXCELLENT, quick, brave, and good. However, the distribution of information (or lack thereof) needs a great deal of work.
If I may, I STRONGLY recommend that TPTB understand that people are going to need and want information...and some will go to the site to get it (which is foolish, but you cannot fight human nature). I was GREATLY disturbed that the blm site had "site issues" and could not manage to come up with a way around that (does NO one there know how to post a blurb on a page?) with a fire that was sending embers into people's lawns.
Don't try to "manage the message"...that just wastes time. Just put out data. Each family has to take care of its own, but we cannot do that if we have no idea what is going on. The more heads up you give, the less chaos you get.
Information should be posted in increments of NO LONGER than 20 minutes--15 minutes is better. One person from the police, the blm, the fire dpt, or whatever should be chosen as the on site information person/team. They should have a radio link to the front lines. That person should give updates every 20 minutes or less, even if the update is "Situation is unchanged: the incident is still be managed with x resources, and has not spread beyond x point. X evacuations are still in place. X roads are still blocked. Update in 20 minutes.".
No news is NOT good news. No news is no news. No news makes for restless people who want to find out if their homes are next. Gone are the days where people just sit and wait patiently. We did not even hear when the fire was out.
Each site that has involvement (blm, police, fire, etc) as well as all local media should post the updates on their site IMMEDIATELY (surely they each have a staffer who could do that). I understand the DNM was doing the best they could...but they were not given much to work with.
Let's consider this a learning opportunity: we learned that the fire response is absolutely incredible. We also learned that there is a gaping hole in communication, even when a situation is threatening homes. This is not the first time that there was lack of comms, but it should be the last.
i agree the firefighters were awesome! and they should be cuz its their job! whether or not they read these comments i hope they know they're appreciated!
Archer maybe you should be the one to give up x updates at x times x days since you know how it should be done
haha
To bad they don't broadcast emergency info via a cell number!
The power was probably of at KFAR's tower as was the case along parts of CHSR.
There is very little actual local programing with humans.. most of it is run by a bot.
My dad is a volunteer firefighter and I was given these numbers:
AST Dispatch(if someone tells you to evac. that's not AST, BLM or a fire fighter.. )-451-5100
Then I have the public fireline (you can talk to the guy & ask questions) 356-5511
Sorry lil late... but best to write them down. Looks like a warm summer.
Thanks you fire fighters, BLM, AST, and everyone else. I hope everyone safe. Thank's to the person that called it in!!
Archer - you are off base here. A fire as fast moving as this means that the situation is changing every minute. During this time, many different groups of firefighters are engaged in firefighting activities throughout the fire area. No one person can collect updated info from so many different points of the fire and give it to you instantly. The information you might get one minute is likely to be out-of-date the next minute. I strongly disagree with your demand that you receive information even though it might be wrong. I would rather have no information than wrong information.
I thought the fire information folks as well as the newsminer staff did a fine job considering the constantly changing situation.
I sent this as a letter to the editor but i think you should hear it too
I live on brock road and as most of you know we had a big fire
thursday.My family were all safely waiting at the Brock and Peede Rd
corner.As we watched the smoke roll down the street we see a mother half mile down the road carrying a newborn in its carseat struggeling to get herself and child away from the smoke. A young man asked the officer on the scene if he would go help her because he had refused the womans friends from driving a short ways to pick her up.He said no and continued on with what he was doing(turning cars around).Other officers on the scene did nothing as well, in fact they were too buisy checking peoples ID's to go help the woman.I understand that the police have a job to do but i thaught it was to protect and serve and in my opinion not only did they they not protect or serve this woman, they put her and her baby at risk and left her in a dangerious situation.There was no PSA in the neighborhood, no siren driving around warning us, no help for anyone who wanted out but had no viechle.What can we do about this in the future? Somthing needs to be done for the helpless in our neighborhoods in case of forest fire.I cant imagine how scary it was for the woman or anyone else who couldnt leave. And by the way thank you to all the brave firemen at the other end of the road
for saving our homes we all owe you, -thanks-
AKgenae, suggest you move to town. Generally those of us that live out this way, don't want/need the security blanket of town. If you do, you might want to reconsider where you live.
Thanks to the fire fighters/BLM/Troopers and everyone else involved in managing the fire. Watching the aircraft attacking the fire was breathtaking.
A huge thanks to Forestry, the hotshot teams, fire departments, aircraft pilots, and anyone else involved in the effort to put out the North Pole wildfire last night. We watched from a home located on Cline Road, not too far from the scene of the fire. Had the winds been different it could have been our homes threatened. Awesome job everyone!
I had no problems but where is the safty precautions for those who do the elderly or disabled
To where I live I still had power. If you come down on Plack road, I live on the right side of plack which still had power but on the left side of plack, they don't have power which they cut off till they get that fire out. They didn't get power back till 8 or 9 pm last night. I agree the firefighter did a excellent job putting the fire out. My father use to be volunteer firefighter, back in my day which we don't have radio, internet or cellphone, we had to sit back and wait till the word get out if it is ok for us to get back to our home or not. (I mean sitting at the school gym waiting or other town with your friend or other town school). So if KFAR don't had power last night then that why they can't get any new out. Thank you to all of the firefighter, airplane pilot and helicopter.
Thanks to all of you from North Pole , Alaska for the updates and the appreciation shown to the Wildland Firefighters. My son is on the Chena Hotshot Crew. Thank you for your prayers too. I enjoy being able to keep up on the fire news. And I have prayed for you who live there too. Hope the fire is out soon and you all can go back to a normal life!
I find it somewhat ironic that the area that burned was posted with a Borough sign that read, "Firewood cutting area by permit only" 3 weeks ago. When I called the number on it I was told that I could not cut firewood there and the only Borough area for wood cutting is off of Johnson road about 30+ miles away! I drove by today and lo and behold the sign was not there anymore....
AKgenae, I believe I would have gone on to help her if the officer did not want to. I think the leo's and I would have had a disagreement if they had told me not to.
Pat
the "Mrs" here ... "Mr" took me by the area today and I discovered that it isn't but about 1/2 of a mile to where the fire was/is from our property!!!! That is when I got really nervous. We were all ready to evacuate but thankfully we were safe. Had I known just how close the fire actually was, I probably would have thought twice about our decision! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HELP IN ANY WAY!!!! Thank you so very much.
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.