Friday Creek Fire 75 percent contained

MAT-SU– The Friday Creek Fire is 75 percent contained. A nine-member crew continues to beat down the fire by hand, among the tools are 40-pound portable water pumps that crew members haul around on their backs and fill with pond and creek water.

Although the fire is not remote, about five or more miles east of the community of Butte, the conditions are remote. There's no roads. Transporting firefighters and equipment across thawing creeks required four wheelers and an Argo, an amphibious all terrain, off-road vehicle, loaned by the Butte Fire Department.

The Friday Creek Fire is located 3 ½ miles south-east of the confluence of Jim Creek with the Knik River, on the other side of Jim Creek.

The State Division of Forestry is managing the fire. Four crew-members are Pioneer Peak Hot Shots and five are Forestry fire resource technicians.

Glen Holt, the Public Information Officer for Forestry, said the fire size hasn't changed but because of the spotty nature of the fire its actual perimeter is difficult to determine. The fire jumped itself and left a lot of unburned fuel within its perimeter, including beetle-killed trees, Holt said. Fire crews are containing the fire, then working on putting it out. We suspect the weather will put things out, Holt said.

The burning acreage is on federal Bureau of Land Management land, also land identified as a future conveyance to Eklutna Inc.

The fire is being attacked from the ground. Aviation assets that are under contract with Forestry are not expected in Alaska until April 17.
 
For updates on fire activity, contact Glen Holt, MAT-SU Area Fire Information @ 354-1955.

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