Misplaced Pages

#534465

25-647: The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is a 1.92-million-acre (7,770 km) wildlife habitat preserve located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska , United States. It is adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park . This refuge was created in 1941 as the Kenai National Moose Range , but in 1980 it was changed to its present status by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act . The refuge

50-699: A matter of days, with the Swan Lake fire being by far the largest. While 2019 is by no means the worst fire season in Alaska's history, the fire season has been trending towards longer and more intense activity, with human-caused climate change as the apparent cause. The fire ignited in an area of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge that is under limited management, where naturally occurring wildfires are generally allowed to burn unchecked and are seen as natural and beneficial. By June 13

75-558: Is a major cruise ship port. The peninsula also has natural gas , petroleum , and coal deposits, as well as abundant commercial and personal-use fisheries. Tourism is a major industry, along with outfitting and guiding services for hunters and fishers. The Kenai Peninsula is known as "Alaska's Playground". Kenai National Wildlife Refuge encompasses nearly two million acres of the peninsula. 60°10′N 150°15′W  /  60.167°N 150.250°W  / 60.167; -150.250 Swan Lake Fire The Swan Lake Fire

100-616: Is administered from offices in Soldotna . The Kenai Wilderness protects 1,354,247 acres of the refuge as wilderness area . There is a wide variety of terrain in the refuge, including muskeg and other wetlands, alpine areas, and taiga forest. The refuge protects several large mammals, including wolf packs, brown bears , black bears , dall sheep , moose , Canadian lynx , and caribou , as well as thousands of migratory and native birds. There are numerous lakes, including two very large lakes, Skilak Lake and Tustumena Lake as well as

125-528: The Kenai River , and the refuge is a popular destination for fishing for salmon and trout . The refuge has several campgrounds and boat launches, including two developed campgrounds, one at Hidden Lake and another at Skilak Lake , both accessible from Skilak Lake Loop Road, which intersects the Sterling Highway at both ends. Other less-developed campgrounds and campsites are accessible from

150-614: The Minnesota Zoo . In 2019, lightning again ignited a major wildfire, named the Swan Lake Fire , and again it was allowed to burn unchecked for some time, until it began to threaten the communities of Sterling and Cooper Landing , as well the Sterling Highway and the Refuge's Skilak Lake Road, the only roads allowing access to towns on the lower Kenai Peninsula. In total 167,164 acres (67,649 ha) were burned before it

175-737: The Sargent Icefield and Harding Icefields and the numerous glaciers assosciated with them, including Tustumena Glacier , Exit Glacier , and McCarty Glacier . The peninsula includes several of the most populous towns in Southcentral Alaska, including Seward on the Gulf of Alaska Coast, Soldotna , Kenai , Sterling , and Cooper Landing along the Cook Inlet and Kenai River, and Homer , along Kachemak Bay, along with numerous smaller villages and settlements. Homer marks

200-562: The Sterling Highway, Skilak Loop Road, Swanson River Road, and Swan Lake Road, the latter of which do not require fees to access. Since 2005 the refuge has offered 16 cabins for public use via a reservation system, with some cabins accessible only via boat. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has multiple small canoe systems linking lakes or groups of lakes. It further possess two larger canoe trails, which link large networks of lakes and rivers, often via portages . The most popular,

225-904: The Swan Lake Canoe Trail, travels 60 miles, beginning at Canoe Lake (the west entrance), and terminates alternatively at Portage Lake (the east entrance) or the confluence of the Moose and Kenai rivers in Sterling . The longest, the Swanson River Canoe Route, spanning 80 miles, begins either at Paddle Lake or Gene Lake, and ends where the Swanson River meets the Cook Inlet at Captain Cook State Park . There are over 110 miles of hiking trails in

250-515: The fire area. Over the next several weeks the fire expanded and numerous closures and burn suspensions were issued, as well as air quality alerts for some areas. By July 9 the fire had grown to 99,000 acres (40,000 ha) and more than 400 personnel were involved in fire fighting efforts. By mid-July a drought had been declared on the peninsula. At the end of July fire growth had slowed and significant containment work had been completed, and firefighters were mostly redeployed to other fires. Over

275-417: The fire had consumed more than 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) of wild land, mostly black spruce . The southwest corner of the fire was approaching the Sterling Highway corridor, which is the sole major road providing access to the western peninsula. Forty firefighters were deployed to prevent the fire from approaching or crossing the highway, and refuge managers closed a number of access roads deemed too close to

SECTION 10

#1732782875535

300-554: The fire. As the flareup continued and other wildfires sprung up in the area more firefighters were deployed and a disaster was declared by the Kenai Peninsula Borough . By late August the fire had spread closer to Cooper Landing and residents were put on a "set" warning, meaning they should be ready to evacuate at any time. Emphasis was placed on preserving structures and homes as the fire managed to cross control lines. More than 650 personnel were engaged in fighting

325-663: The fire; the estimated cost of the efforts through the last week of August is 30 million dollars. Alaska's statutory fire season, in which open burning is regulated and permits are required, was extended by a month by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources in response to this and other fires. By September 1, the weather had changed to the more usual damp, rainy conditions normal for that time of year and fire growth had slowed considerably. Firefighting personnel continued mop-up operations including constructing control lines and using drones to search for hotspots along

350-592: The interior of the peninsula, including Skilak Lake and Tustumena Lake . Rivers include the Kenai River , renowned for king salmon fishing, and its tributary, the Russian River , the Kasilof River , and the Anchor River . Kachemak Bay , an inlet off the larger Cook Inlet , extends into the peninsula's southwest end, much of which is part of Kachemak Bay State Park . It is home to both

375-581: The long run for boreal forests, and so many areas of the Refuge are classified as limited suppression areas and fires may be allowed to burn unchecked so long as they do not move toward populated areas or Refuge facilities. In any given year there is a high likelihood of several small fires burning within the refuge. In 2009 lightning ignited the Shanta Creek Wildfire , which burned over 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of Refuge land before it began moving toward populated areas outside of Soldotna and

400-431: The only alternative route through the area between Cooper Landing and Sterling, were closed due to fire encroachment and poor visibility. The highway itself was reduced to one-way-at-a-time traffic in one lane. Later that same day, the fire crowned in this area and began moving rapidly, forcing intermittent closure of the highway over the next several days. Type I hotshot crews and heavy water bombers were dispatched to

425-596: The peninsula for thousands of years prior to colonization during the Russian America era. The glacier -covered Kenai Mountains run along the southeast spine of the peninsula along the coast of the Gulf of Alaska . Much of the range is within Kenai Fjords National Park . The northwest coast along the Cook Inlet is flatter, dotted with numerous small lakes. Several larger lakes extend through

450-465: The perimeter. Pilot car operations continued on the Sterling Highway and travelers were still warned to expect long delays during the Labor Day holiday weekend. By the seventh, rain had helped considerably and much progress was made in constructing control lines, although hot spots remained on the western edge in hard to access areas which were targeted by helicopter operations. By the end of the month

475-572: The refuge, accessed from the Sterling Highway, Skilak Lake Loop Road, Swanson River Road, various campgrounds, and the refuge visitor center and headquarters. These hikes range from difficult, multi-day back-country hikes to easier, short paved-trail walks. As with most national wildlife refuges, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is open to hunting with certain restrictions, in particular in the area of Skilak Lake Road. Naturally occurring wildfires are seen as beneficial in

500-997: The terminus of the paved highway system of North America , while nearby Anchor Point is the most westerly point on the contiguous highway system. Seward is the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad . The Seward Highway connects Seward to Anchorage, while the Sterling Highway connects the large population centers to the Seward Highway. The Kenai Spur Highway connects Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski and Captain Cook State Recreation Area , Commercial airports with service to Anchorage are located in Kenai and Homer Smaller airports are located in Soldotna Seward and Seldovia The Alaska Marine Highway services Homer and Seldovia . Seward

525-438: The usual rainy season was well underway and the fire was over 80% contained. Major remaining hazards include ash pits and weakened trees. Burned area emergency response teams took actions to reduce danger over the following week. On September 30 a final update was issued, indicating the fire was 90% contained and further significant growth seemed unlikely. All burned areas of the wildlife refuge were still considered closed due to

SECTION 20

#1732782875535

550-481: The weekend of August 17, high winds caused the fire to flare up and spread eastward towards Cooper Landing . Wildlife refuge and national forest managers closed several areas in response, motorists were warned of poor conditions and delays, and residents of Cooper Landing were advised to be prepared to evacuate. In the west the fire spread across the highway for the first time, and portions of the Skilak Lake road,

575-686: Was a large lightning-caused wildfire that burnt between Sterling and Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska from June 5, 2019, until the autumn of that year. In total, the fire burned approximately 170,000 acres (69,000 hectares). Southcentral Alaska had an exceptionally hot, dry spring and summer season in 2019. 2019 saw the second-warmest month of June in the state's history, which, combined with dry conditions created near perfect conditions for wildfires. The Kenai Peninsula normally experiences only one or two lightning-caused fires each year, but in early June 2019 four such fires were ignited in

600-462: Was aggressively fought to keep it from endangering these areas. The Funny River Fire , a human-caused fire that began on 19 May 2014, had burned largely in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. During firefighting activities, a wolf den was damaged by a bulldozer and 5 pups (3 males and 2 females) were rescued by firefighters. The pups were taken to the Alaska Zoo and were later transferred to

625-503: Was contained, but no structures were destroyed and there were no deaths. Kenai Peninsula The peninsula extends about 150 miles (240 km) southwest from the Chugach Mountains , south of Anchorage . It is separated from the mainland on the west by Cook Inlet and on the east by Prince William Sound . Most of the peninsula is part of the Kenai Peninsula Borough . Athabaskan and Alutiiq Native groups lived on

#534465