Disaster Declared for Sockeye Fire Area, Alaska

Walker declares a state disaster in response to Sockeye Fire

Alaska Gov. Walker has declared a state disaster in response to widespread damages caused by the Sockeye Fire wildfire in Willow and the surrounding region.

Early Tuesday, the Alaska Division of Forestry estimated the Sockeye Fire had grown to 7,585 acres.

Major fires burning in Alaska include:

• Chisana River 2 Fire Wildfire Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve (Active) 8,550 acres
• Sockeye Fire Wildfire Mat – Su Area Forestry (Active)  7,512 acres
• Bogus Creek Fire Wildfire Southwest Area Forestry (Active) 25,260 acres
• Whitefish Lake 1 Fire Wildfire Southwest Area Forestry (Active) 14,827 acres

Related Links

• Explosive Wildfire Destroys Homes Forces Hundreds of Evacuations in AK June 16, 2015

Explosive Wildfire Destroys Homes Forces Hundreds of Evacuations in AK

Alaska wildfire grows 7 folds in as many hours

The 700-acre wildfire called Card Street Fire, has destroyed dozens of homes on the Kenai Peninsula, threatening hundreds of additional structures and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

Meantime, Alaska Governor Walker issued a disaster declaration for the affected areas.

Image credit: Stefan Hinman/Mat-Su Borough spokesperson. More images…

Sockeye Fire near Willow

Another fast-moving fire near Willow, the Sockeye Fire, has destroyed at least 25 primary homes and as many as 20 secondary homes, according to Alaska Forestry Division spokesman Sam Harrel.

Alaska Division of Forestry’s latest update on the Sockeye Fire near Willow:

The fire is still estimated at 6,500 acres [the fire is now up to 8,500 acres]  and fire managers flew the fire this morning to get a gauge on fire activity and how far the fire has spread since last night. Heavy smoke over the southern perimeter of the fire south of Willow Creek has made size up difficult and fire managers are working to produce an updated map of the fire. As of late last night, the head of the fire was burning just south of Willow Creek and did not show much movement overnight. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has set up a call center for people seeking information about the fire. The number at the call center is (907) 861-8326. For a recorded update, call (907) 761-3700. Fire activity died down last night due to cooler temperatures and higher relative humidities but activity is expected to increase today as a result of a Red Flag Warning for strong winds, hot temperatures and low relative humidity. Winds are expected to be out of the north again today, which will likely push the fire south. Fire managers plan to utilize roads and natural barriers to help control the fire. They are focusing on holding the fire at the railroad tracks on the east side of the Parks Highway and the Susitna River serves as a natural barrier on the west side. Evacuation advisories remain in effect from Miles 63 to 78 and extend two miles to the east of the highway and to the Susitna River on the west. Anyone still in that evacuation zone should seriously consider leaving the area for the safety of themselves and firefighters. As of late last night, there were approximately 25 primary structures and 10-20 secondary structures destroyed by the fire north of Kashwitna Lake on the north end of the fire. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has a team that is assessing structure damage today to get a clearer indication of how many homes and structures were lost. Eight smokejumpers were deployed to remote cabin sights for structure protection and more resources have been ordered from the Lower 48 and Canada and are enroute to the fire. That includes five Type 1 hotshot crews, five Type 2 crews, two air tankers, and multiple helicopters, including three Blackhawk helicopters from the Alaska Air National Guard.

The Big Smoke

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,270 Days Left

[September 23, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,270 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

U.S. Wildfires Prompt Air Quality Alerts

Hundreds of wildfires across the Midwest, Northwestern and Southern U.S. prompt Red Flag Warnings, air quality alerts and more evacuation orders.

Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS

Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data – NESDIS

See also Washington state health provides thousands of respirators as Wildfire smoke worsens

Other Disasters

• Alabama, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama following the damage caused by Hurricane Isaac during the period of August 26 to September 5, 2012.

Related Links

• Massive Wildfires Raging in Washington Threaten to Merge into ‘Monster Blaze’ Posted September 22, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Massive Wildfires Raging in Washington Threaten to Merge into ‘Monster Blaze’

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,271 Days Left

[September 22, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,271 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Washington, USA.  Several wildfires burning in Central Washington are threatening to merge into a ‘monster blaze,’ authorities said.

• About 1,150 homes are threatened by two of the fires, the Table Mountain Fire and Wenatchee River Complex, which have forced at least 2,000 people to evacuate.

• The largest fire, the Wenatchee Complex, has grown to about 70 square miles, threatening about 500 homes and other structures.
  • “The Wenatchee Complex is the result of an extensive, severe lightning storm which occurred the evening of Saturday, September 9, 2012. Lightning strikes were reported to have started [hundreds of] individual fires.” Inciweb reported.

• Table Mountain Fire is threatening about 650 homes.

• Fueled by warm temperatures, very low humidity and winds, the fires have so far consumed about 140 square miles on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range.

• Smoke from the fires is causing hazardous air quality in Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Spokane, Pullman, Clarkston and elsewhere across the state.

• A total of about 5,000 fire and emergency personnel are deployed.

Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS

Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data – NESDIS

Utah, USA. Gov. Herbert has declared a state of emergency in Santa Clara after flooding caused extensive damage to homes and businesses.

• Santa Clara is located about 270 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Florida. Federal government has denied a request by the Florida Gov. to declare the state a presidential major disaster area following the damage caused by Hurricane ISAAC late August.

• The storm reportedly caused about $40million damage across 7 counties in Florida, especially Palm Beach.

Alaska.  Alaska’s governor has declared a state disaster for communities worst-hit by recent storms, forcing residents in Talkeetna area to evacuate, a report said.

• “Flooding is causing problems over a wide swath of Alaska, from Talkeetna, near the base of Mount McKinley in the Mat-Su Borough, to the port town of Seward, 175 miles to the south on the Kenai Peninsula.”

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

ConocoPhillips Alaska Head Killed in Avalanche

Since nature protects Earth against external threats, does it follow that it’s also on-guard for threats from within?

The president of ConocoPhillips Alaska, Jim Bowles, was killed in an avalanche near Spencer Glacier.

Jim Bowles, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc., who was killed in an avalanche on Saturday, seen taking to reporters at a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday Dec. 3, 2008 where Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced an agreement between the state of Alaska and the oil industry to extend the federal export license for the LNG plant on the Kenai Peninsula. Steven Hinchmann, senior VP of worldwide production for Marathon Oil Corp. , back, left, Tom Irwin Department of Natural Resources commissioner, and Gov. Sarah Palin, right, listen in the back. On the campaign trail, Palin says repeatedly that America must tap its own natural gas and oil reserves to become energy independent. But she has pushed the federal government to allow a liquefied natural gas plant to continue exporting to Asia, the only such plant in the United States that sends the product overseas. AP Photo/Al Grillo. Image may be subject to copyright. See Fair Use Notice.

Another employee of the company who was part of the snowmobiling party was missing and presumed dead, Alaska State Troopers said, Reuters reported.

Mr Bowles’s body  was recovered on Saturday, trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters was reported as saying.

“Bowles was pulled from the avalanche debris and CPR was given for about 30 minutes before they stopped the effort,” Peters said.

Mr Bowles, 57, is believed to have been with “a group of about a dozen snowmobilers when the avalanche hit the Grandview wilderness area on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage.”

The missing man was identified as Alan Gage, “presumed buried, presumed dead,” Peters said. “Gage was a member of ConocoPhillips’ capital projects team.”

Bowles became the president of ConocoPhillips Alaska in 2004.  “ConocoPhillips is Alaska’s largest oil producer and one of the two major oil-field operators on the North Slope.” Reuters reported.

An Oil Rig in Alaska. Source. Mineral Management Services.

On Friday (Feb 12), Fire-Earth warned “the ongoing seismicity and the prospect of enhanced volcanic activity in Alaska bode ill for the oil companies that are operating in the face of the fragile ecosystems in the region.”

Related Links:

• Alaska Shaking and Rattling Like a Popcorn Pan
• Earthquake Monitoring Centers and EQ links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links
• Powerful Quake Strikes Queen Charlotte Islands Region
• Two Powerful Quakes Strike Fox Islands, Alaska

• Jupiter’s ‘Protective Role’ Revisited
• Jupiter Bombarded