The Alaska Funny River fire has increased to 124,000 acres

[Blue_In_AK]

and evacuations have been ordered. This fire is serious.


http://www.adn.com/2014/05/25/3485883/funny-river-fire-keeps-growing.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1

<snip>

An evacuation notice has been extended from mile 7 of Funny River Road to the end of the road, said Michelle Weston, a spokeswoman for the interagency team managing the fire.

Meanwhile, some area residents were complaining on the Alaska Interagency Management Team's Facebook page that they are receiving conflicting information on whether or not they should evacuate their homes.

The evacuation notice in effect for the Funny River Road area is a directive to evacuate, Weston said.

Dennis Downs, 64, watched as the fire burned across a ridge from his mother in law's house off Alaska View Lane, before an evacuation was ordered for his area.

He had worked with his wife to clear dead trees and spruce away from the home, and a sprinkler was at work wetting down the front yard, but the huge scale of the fire seemed to dwarf those efforts.

"There's a good possibility the house will burn," Downs said.

<snip>

RogueValley, please check in. Are you okay?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. It's a scary big fire...They are all in my thoughts. n/t

[Hekate]

2. KnR

[uppityperson]

3. roguevalley was online a few hours ago, their latest...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4999551

and for the fire?

[scarletwoman]

4. Holee crap! I'm wondering about the wildlife in this wildlife refuge...

Any way of knowing if any have managed to escape ahead of the flames? I hate to think of how many critters have been burnt to a crisp.

This is what really bothers me about wildfires - it's not just losing all the trees, it's all the animals that get killed, too.

[Separation]

5. Sometimes the fires are good.

Obviously when people are burned out of their house or 1st responders are hurt or killed.

But is a natures reset button. Way to clear infected trees and make new growth. IMO the fires should be left alone unless directly affecting people.

I was in Alaska I think it was in 86 or 87 living in Delta Junction and we were giving 20 gallon gourds with a little hose coming out and we had like a 5 mile line, guys cutting trees, digging ditches, basically made a fireline to stop the fire before it hit Ft. Greely. It was pretty scary.

I hope anyone in the line stays safe.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Some photos from my Facebook feed

Three days ago, when the fire was at 44,000 acres, it was listed as the third largest wildfire
burning in the US. It is now three times that big. It grew from 193 square miles late yesterday night to 243 square miles by today at 5 p.m.

I have to ask - is this being reported on the national news?

[malaise]

10. NO - I have not seen anything on networks or cable

This is huge.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. It's not unusual to get big fires up here,

but they're not usually so close to civilization. A lot of people live down in that area, and I'm sure their nerves are completely frazzled. Not to mention that this is a recreation area that all of us in this part of the state enjoy. It's going to be different.

Circle of life, I guess. The moose will enjoy the grass that comes back lush and green, and the old, dead, beetle-infested trees will be no more. But I do worry for my neighbors to the south and especially for the firefighters who are putting their lives on the line to save the lives and homes of those who live in harm's way.

[malaise]

12. I sure would be packing up my important documents and photos about now

Scary indeed.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. Now 156,000 acres.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. 245 square miles! .... Yikes

Scary. ... hope all your Alaskan friends are safe.

[Blue_In_AK]

9. For comparison purposes,

I just read that the City of Seattle covers about 140 square miles, so you can see this fire is huge. DUer RogueValley lives down in Soldotna not far from Funny River Road. I'm quite concerned for her. Our air is really bad here in Anchorage, but at least we are not threatened by the fire.