While growth on the Swan Lake Fire has slowed down, it continues to burn at higher elevations towards the east and popular recreation sites on the Kenai Peninsula. The fire is estimated at 99,086 acres with 406 personnel on staff and remains at 14% containment.

The fire is continuing to move into the Mystery Creek, Thurman Creek, and Chickaloon River drainages. Fire movement through the black spruce is being influenced by topography and wind direction.

Efforts to hold the fire along the ENSTAR pipeline and the Chickaloon River continue to be successful on the north end of the fire. Jim Cahill, with the Incident Management Team: “On the north end of the fire where it is still burning up the slopes and gaining elevations, that is our strategy is that it will run out of fuel on those higher elevations and slow up.”

Fire crews will be assessing public recreation cabins along the Resurrection Pass Trail for possible point protection should the fire reach the trail. A partial closure of the trail has been implemented by the Chugach National Forest.

Mop up operations continue to extinguish areas of heat on the southern edge as firefighters work towards full containment along the Sterling Highway.

Cahill: “We have all sorts of resources along the highway, like heavy equipment that has been constructing check lines along the powerline corridor and on that part of the highway. We are using a number of helicopters to hit hotspots near the highway. The fire is visible from some parts of the highway.”

There will be a public meeting on Wednesday, July 10, at 6 p.m. at the Cooper Landing Elementary School.