R&R was Dominated by Fire

It's 4:00 am, and I'm drinking a cup of strong coffee, preparing to start my day.  In a couple of hours I'll be returning to my workplace to begin another 2 week rotation.  I've checked precious little off of my "to do" list, because this particular R&R was dominated primarily by the Stuart Creek 2 wildfire burning just south of our community.

I started the R&R the very day that firefighters and the Fairbanks North Star Borough issued an evacuation watch for our community, and it seems somehow fitting that I am ending the R&R only hours after that same evacuation watch was lifted for my area. 

Most of the work I accomplished around the place this time around was maintenance stuff rather than projects.  I did fill quite a few holes in the dog yard, including some extensive resurfacing in a couple of the pens that form the northern perimeter of the yard.  I'm pleased that I was able to accomplish that. 

Probably the best accomplishment was reorganizing and consolidating my camping gear.  When we actually had to evacuate we found that we had plenty of dog care equipment and supplies, but weren't quite so prepared to care for the human members of the team.  Since Trish was able to return to the house and fetch some stuff it was no major issue, but had the road been closed to inbound traffic as frequently happens during wildfire evacuations, we wouldn't have been nearly so comfortable. 

As I prepare to leave for work, the truck remains packed and parked in the dog yard.  We've proven we can safely load and haul all of the animals on the property in a single trip, and once we get our other trailer back from the fabricator doing some modifications to it, we'll be able to build additional travel capacity that will make it even easier to do so.  Way back last winter I made that my highest priority project for the season.  Unfortunately, the friend and neighbor who is doing the fabrication was also impacted by the evacuation, so that project has been delayed along with all the others.

We live in a fire dependent forest and every few years we find ourselves threatened by wildfire.  This fire actually reduces the threat of a fire encroaching on us from the south, but increased development to the northeast of the house provides reason for some concern.  It's something I'll have to address at some near future time. 

For now, I'm grateful that the fire service crews were able to contain this particular beast and that I can return to work confident that Trish can manage even the worse case scenario while I'm away.  That is a really good feeling.

Preparing for Next Time

Yesterday I awoke to the very welcome sound of rain falling on the metal roof of our house.  It was enough rain to turn the dog yard to a mess of mucky mud, and to instill enough confidence that would travel to town to pick up a few things that will make future evacuations more efficient.  This could be especially important if an evacuation is called while I'm away at work, leaving Trish to deal with the issues at home on her own. 

One of the things I wanted to accomplish was to get as much of the human-related camping gear as possible into one container.  Those cheap styrene storage tubs such as the one in which I had some of the dog gear would probably get the job done, but I was hoping to find something stronger and more weather resistant. 

At Fred Meyer, I found a tote that I thought would work out much better.  It has enough capacity to contain all of the gear needed for our camp, and has the added advantage of folding legs so it doubles as a table.  It's built similar to the "action packer" totes that are very popular among outdoors enthusiasts in Alaska so I think it can probably endure a few years of rough handling.  The price was also pretty reasonable.

Once back home I stocked the tote with the propane heater and camp stove, a good stock of propane cylinders to run that stuff, camp cookware (most of which are historically authentic reproductions), some Mountain House freeze dried meals and conveniently packed coffee. 

I made up some 'hygiene kits' containing things needed to keep a little cleaner and more comfortable in camp.  These included a bath towel and wash cloth, small bar of soap, new toothbrush and travel-sized tube of toothpaste, shampoo, and other hygiene products.  For example, mine includes a disposable razor and shaving creme.  I rolled the entire package up in the towel, enclosed it in a pair of 1 gallon freezer bags, taped it up to seal it and wrote the contents on the tape with a permanent marker.  Those also went into the tote so they are less likely to be forgotten.

For now, the tote can be lifted on top of the dog box on the truck for transportation.  Once I have my larger trailer back from the fabricator and build the new dog boxes for it, it should ride nicely in the center space between the boxes on that trailer, making it a lot easier to load and transport.

Feed and water pans for the dogs proved to be a bit of a headache.  In the kennel we use stainless steel dishes, and while preparing to bug out we gathered them up to take with us.  Having to set them out and then collect them again during twice-a-day feeding wasn't particularly efficient.  I was able to pick up two dozen aluminum "trail pans" at Cold Spot feeds, which are much lighter.  They are currently packed with picket lines and other dog gear, ready to go, and during winter they will go into sleds for feeding the dogs out on the trail.

It seems like I NEVER have enough drop chains around here.  I have a bucket with odd lengths of chain in the shop, so I picked up some new "S" hooks to make up some more drop chains, a project I'll tend to later today. 

Currently the logistics of moving out the dogs and gear is a relatively serious problem.  There is just enough room in the truck and small trailer filled with airline crates to get the dogs out, but not enough to also include all of the human-related camping gear.  I've been planning to modify the trailer I bought at last year's Alyeska Pipeline Service Company surplus auction into a 10-compartment dog hauler, but that is a project in progress.  In fact, it was my highest priority project for this summer.  Unfortunately, the fire came before I could get that project done.

In a way, that may be a good thing, because I've been thinking of some additional features I can include on that set-up that may make it even easier to camp with the team as well as doing other transportation related jobs that are sometimes needed around the place.  You'll just have to keep following the blog as I get more into that project, hopefully during my next R&R from work.

Meanwhile, yesterday's rain and cooler temperatures have allowed the firefighters to get more containment line around the fire, and I'm hopeful we won't have to evacuate the place again.  If we do, we are better prepared to do so.  Meanwhile, the day to day chores still need to be done, so I'm off to feed the howling horde and get some more work done around here.

Refugees

As I wrote in my last installment, the weather forecast did not bode well for our community in relation to the Stuart Creek 2 fire.  Sure enough, the forecast proved true and the hot, dry conditions an strong winds from the South allowed the blaze to nearly double in size in a single afternoon.  

The bright red areas in the map below shows just how much the fire spread on Sunday.

Fire Progression Map courtesy Alaska Fire Service

After finishing the truck repair project I wrote about in my last post, I came into the house and noticed that I had missed a call on my phone.  I dialed the number back, and learned that the evacuation warning had turned into an evacuation notice.  Our place lies only about 100 yards beyond the official boundary of the notice, but out of an abundance of caution I decided we should put our plan into action, and bug out.

I got ahold of Trish, who was working at the farmer's market.  She was back home with an hour and we put our plan into action, loading the dogs, grabbing up last minute things, and then heading west to camp out at Peggy Billingsley and Darrel Harphem's pace, at 10 Mile.  That was well away from the evacuation zone and seemed like a logical place to set up a refugee camp.

The first order of business when we arrived was to stretch out the two picket lines needed to confine 20 dogs.  Two widely spaced trees worked for one end, and the truck served as the anchor for the opposite end, using ratchet straps to stretch the lines taught.  My reproduction of a late 18th century bell-back 'wedge' or 'A-frame' tent would serve as our living quarters for the duration. 

Basic camp set-up.  Click for larger view.

 Darrel and Peggy were wonderful hosts, providing us with comfortable camp chairs, a camp stove to use instead of the wood strove I'd packed for the tent, and even a nice, cushy recliner that got good use as we watched over the dogs.

Trish and Swanny in Refugee camp.  Photo by Peggy Billingsley

We learned that officials were allowing residents to come and go to remove belongings, so Peggy drove Trish back to the house to pick up here car (we bugged out with the dog truck and my little roller skate car full our our most important things).  During that trip, Trish was able to bring out some things we had forgotten about while planning our evacuation.  High on the list was people food, as all we had packed were some Mountain House meals.  They'll get the job done in a pinch, but aren't nearly so tasty as ham, eggs, fresh fruit and so forth.  Coffee was also on the list, and though only a luxury, it's a luxury I relish in the morning.

After Trish returned, the dogs were fed, watered and scooped, and we were settling in for the night, our friend who had camped her dogs at our place during the Kanuti Fire stopped by, and gave us a treat of some ice-cream, which made for a delightful surprise and a wonderful mid-night snack.

After we fed, watered and scooped after the dogs Monday morning, Trish headed back up to check on the condition of the house and property and grab a hot shower while I watched over the dog.  The only Internet access I had was through my smart phone, which isn't the best tool but sure beats nothing at all.  The only real frustration I felt during the whole incident was the lack of reliable information.  Rumor were flying fast and thankfully most were unfounded.  No homes have been lost, the fire hasn't 'jumped' the main highway or any of a million other rumored calamities.  That doesn't mean it didn't try, and a few spot fires formed north of the Chena River, but the firefighters were able to douse them in short order. 

Meanwhile, I spent the day dozing and scooping after the dogs.  They were living on short pickets, so it was important to keep their very limited spots as clean as we could.  Trish returned with only an hour or so to kill before heading back to her workplace at Pleasant Valley Store.  Even when living in a refugee camp a woman's appearance is important, and Trish spent some of that time - well, the picture speaks for itself.

Trish, painting her nails in refugee camp

While Trish was away at work, I had several visitors in camp.  Some were friends and neighbors just checking to be sure we were O.K., and some were folks I'd never before met doing the same.  Had we needed anything I have no doubt it would have been provided in very short order. 

The evacuation order was lifted late yesterday afternoon, but I decided to spend another night in camp.  With Trish at work, the logistics of breaking camp and hauling everything home was more than I felt I could reasonably manage alone.  We started our day this morning with hot coffee savored while the dogs digested their breakfast, and then started loading up.  We had everyone and everything back at the house by about 1:00 this afternoon. 

We are still under an evacuation watch, and the fire continues to burn.  We were allowed back only because wetter weather and a shift of wind direction has made it safe for us to do so.  The firefighters have been taking advantage of the better fire weather by working hard to build containment lines along the north and northwestern portions of the fire.  The most recently published fire map shows the progress they've made as a dark black line.  Our place is almost directly between the 17 and 19 mileposts marked on the yellow section of highway north of the fire.  You can click on the map to see a larger view of the image.

Perimeter map of Stuart Creek 2 fire as published by BLM early this morning.

Much of my afternoon was spent restocking the stuff we used while at refugee camp, and repacking to include things we hadn't considered while originally planning for this evacuation.  Some of those are pretty basic things like extra tent stakes, camp chair, a propane camp stove versus the wood burner, and even a propane fired heater, which was greatly appreciated during the early morning. 

If we do have to evacuate again, we are even more well prepared than before and I'm sure it will go even more smoothly.  After all, we've had some practice at this.

Fire Watch Continues

Community Meeting.  Photo by Mariska Wright

Weather conditions, and the Stuart Creek 2 wildfire that threatens our community of Two Rivers, have been stable the past few days.  According to the Incident Commander of the fire, that is probably going to change today, and not necessarily in our favor.  Last night we gathered at the relatively new Two Rivers Community Center for a meeting with those responsible for fighting the fire.  The 6:00 pm meeting drew a larger than standing room only crowd.

Incident Commander Jerry McGowan provided a succinct briefing, describing the resources currently available to the firefighting effort and progress thus far made in containing the fire.  He noted that the northern edges of the fire, those most likely to impact our community, are not yet contained.  That's primarily due to the nature of the terrain, which makes it extremely difficult for ground crews to access the fire.  He said that his goal is to contain the fire south of the Chena River.  Meanwhile, crews have set up hose lines and the equipment necessary to protect structures to the greatest degree possible.  He also noted that more resources are on their way as crews are either demobilized or diverted from other fires around the state, and indeed, around the Nation. 

Although not originally scheduled to speak, U.S. Army Commander of Fort Wainwright, Colonel Ron Johnson, stood up to take the heat when one of our neighbors asked “If the military started this fire, then why aren’t they here?”  For the first time since this thing started, he admitted that the fire was ignited as a result of artillery training in the Yukon Training Area.  That training was conducted in spite of the fact that the entire region was under a red flag warning due to the extreme danger of igniting wildfires.  When asked if the Army would pay for damages caused by their fire, Colonel Johnson side-stepped the question, as indeed he must.  He is in no position to know the answer to a question that could result in years of law suits and legal wranglings.

Colonel Johnson taking the heat - photo by Sam Friedman/Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Today's weather forecast is not favorable for our community.  Hot and dry conditions accompanied by winds blowing from the South to Southeast are likely to spread the fire closer to Two Rivers.  At the very least we can expect to be eating a lot smoke, and if the fire advances more than a couple of miles our current evacuation watch may well be changed to an evacuation order. 

We were assured that if required to evacuate Alaska State Troopers and other resources will be used to step up patrols in the region in an attempt to prevent looting, which has been a problem in similar circumstances in the Lower-48.  When asked questions such as "how much warning would we receive" or "how long would be be away?" I.C. McGowan could not provide precise answers, responding only that those decisions would be "situational", based on circumstances as they occur.  It's truly the only honest answer he could give.

Here at our place, we are as prepared as we can be, and have been since Tuesday afternoon, when the evacuation watch was first issued.  We can have all of the animals loaded and ready to roll out within 30 minutes if necessary, and the supplies and equipment necessary for camping with and caring for them are already packed and loaded.  The most important of irreplaceable things, such as important papers, photographs and small treasures, are loaded in the car ready for transport.  We know where we will go and how we will set up our own refugee camp.  As for the rest of it, well, it is just "stuff" and I'm pretty sure the U. S. Army can afford to replace any of the stuff that might be destroyed by their damned fire.

Meanwhile, life goes on.  I spent yesterday dealing with the notorious Sh*t Hill.  No, not the one back out on the trails, but rather than one just outside the dog yard that grows to an astounding height each winter.  We scoop our dog yard at least twice each day, and all of that feces has to go somewhere.  Here at our place, it goes into a constantly growing pile for cold composting.  We add other organic material, such as wood chips and straw, and allow it to decompose into compost.  Once a year I fire up the tractor to "flip" and spread the resulting compost, gradually filling in a low spot at the far end of the dog yard.  I then lay down a nice bed of straw to form a base for the next years collections. 

 

Bed of straw, ready for another year of cold composting.  Photo by Swanny

While doing that job, it became apparent that I need to do some chainsaw work behind the kennel, clearing out a lot of brush and small black-spruce trees that are thickly grown in that area.  That will have to do onto a list for either this fall or, more likely, next break-up before fire season begins.  Currently the conditions are just too dry and dangerous to be running the chain saw back there.

Once I finished with the compost pile I went to work on the truck, replacing the front bumper and right front marker light that were damaged by our former handler more than a year ago.  It took me about two hours to do a project he couldn't accomplish in over half a year (sigh).  I still need to reinstall some trim and air dams, drill some holes to remount moose lights and eye bolts for chaining dogs to the truck, and so forth.  I'm expecting to spend around three or 4 hours finishing that project today.  Afterward, I'll move on the next project, whatever that may be.  It's not like I'm lacking things to do while continuing the fire watch.

Independence Day Fire Watch

Our entire community remains under an evacuation watch due to the Stuart Creek Fire, burning only a few miles to the southeast.  I'm pretty confident that we won't be required to bug out, but if so we are prepared to do so on very short notice.

Fire perimeter map in relation to our community and Stardancer Base (Home).  Click for larger view.

The fire has thus far consumed 50,000 acres of mixed birch and spruce forest and has spread from military to State lands.  Over the past day the spread has been primarily to the southeast, away from populated areas.  That has given firefighters an opportunity to make preparations to protect structures in our community if necessary.  From conversations with friends and neighbors I've learned that in some areas of Pleasant Valley they have prepositioned pumps and hoses to wet down any structures that might be threatened, and they have been scouting and making plans to protect properties elsewhere in the community as well.

The most recent incident report available on-line reads as follows:

"

An Evacuation Watch, issued by the Fairbanks North Star Borough, remains in effect for those living in the area from Mile 14 to Mile 32 of the Chena Hot Springs Rd. An Evacuation Watch is an advisory intended to inform those living in the affected area of the possibility of an evacuation so they can make appropriate preparations. Those who need to evacuate livestock, sled dogs, and other animals can take them to the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds. The Stuart Creek fire, which has grown to 50,000 acres, began on military lands and spread to adjacent state lands. It is four miles from the Chena River. Growth Tuesday occurred to the south and east. Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and light winds should provide firefighters with some relief today. A Type 2 Incident Management Team has taken over management of fire operations and a Type 1 Team has been ordered. Smokejumpers, retardant tankers and military helicopters continue to attack the fire. In addition, crews have begun positioning pumps and hoses to protect structures ahead of the fire.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildfire
Cause	Human
Date of Origin	Wednesday June 19th, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Location	25 miles E of North Pole, AK
Incident Commander	Erik Duning

Current Situation

Total Personnel	90

Size:	50,000 acres

Fuels Involved	: Mixed hardwoods and black spruce

Outlook

Planned Actions	The Type 2 Incident Management Team has been briefed. Begin prepping structures for structure protection. Continue to protect military and community assets.
Growth Potential	Extreme
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme

If necessary, we are as prepared to evacuate the place as we can be, given the resources at our immediate disposal.  The truck and small trailer are prepared to load up and transport all of the animals and supplies and equipment necessary to care for them in a camping situation.  We've made arrangements with friends outside the evacuation zone to camp on their land, which is easily and readily accessible.  Those things that either might be needed during an evacuation, or are irreplaceable, have been loaded into the car.  I can think of little else that we can do to prepare, so now we are in "wait and see what happens next" mode.

Yesterday's weather was very favorable for the fire fighters, with relatively cooler temperatures and little to no wind.  Today's forecast is calling for winds of 10 to 15 mph from the south, so that is less favorable but is not particularly extreme. 

Trish and I are both staying close to home.  Although we had tickets, we skipped going to a movie in town last night.  I'm hoping the theater management will understand the situation and let us use those tickets later in the week.  Trish used her time yesterday to unpack some of her stuff and collect some family treasures she had nearly forgotten about.  It was fun watching her face light up and hear her family stories as each new heirloom surfaced and I'm glad we were able to make space in the car for those personal treasures. 

I used some of the time to rid the dog yard of foxtails and just spend some time with the dogs.  They are all doing well and seem nearly oblivious to all the preparatory activity around the house.  That is as it should be. 

All of this has been an important reminder to update our evacuation plan.  It was originally written at a time when I had about half the number of dogs that now populate our kennel, and while most of it is still applicable, some is not.  I'm holding off on that project until we can get the newer trailer back, and build dog boxes to fit it.  It's ironic that the primary incentive for modifying that trailer is to prepare for exactly this sort of event.

Today is Independence Day, and even the threat of wildfire won't prevent us from enjoying our annual community picnic.  In fact, it may give us an opportunity to interact with express our gratitude to the firefighters who are helping us.  Each year I celebrate the holiday by re-reading the Declaration of Independence, remembering the intent of the document is to list the grievances explaining to the world why a relatively small population was willing to take on the strongest military power of it's day in all-out war. Today we have our own list of grievances, many of them similar to those of our ancestors. I hope we, the people of the United States, can resolve those issues without need for a similar war.



This morning I'll start my holiday as I start every day, by feeding, watering and cleaning up after the dogs.  Just one more cup of coffee should be sufficient for me to prepare for that task.  There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee to make my little part of the world feel right and proper.

Meanwhile, I'm wishing you all a very happy Independence Day.  Remember that all Nations are created as a result of their history, and that our actions today greatly influence the direction of that Nation in the future.

Preparing to bug out.

I got off duty at work at 10:00 this morning, was home by 11:30, and by 1:30 I was hustling around the place, getting ready to evacuate if need be. 

There is a rather good sized fire, roughly 45,000 acres (yep, 3 zeros) burning on military land just outside our community.  Yesterday the fire quadrupled in size, and today the Borough has issued an evacuation warning.  An evacuation warning simply means get reay in case we tell you to bug out.

I only have an 8 compartment box on the truck, plus less than a handful of airline crates.  That's barely enough to evacuate and camp out with 20 dogs and 2 cats.  My newer trailer is currently at a friends place for some modifications so I can transform it into a really nice dog carrier, but that doesn't help me at the moment.

 For now, I can put two dogs in each compartment in the truck, three in airline crates in the trailer, and two dogs can ride in the cab of the truck.  I have a large tote box in which I've put my veterinary emergency medical kit, picket chains and lines, and other miscellaneous equipment that may be needed to camp out somewhere in a canine refugee camp.  Two bags of dog food (a four-day supply) are loaded in the car, along with sleeping bags, our important papers and our photo albums.

Truck set up next to dog yard, and ready to load if necessary

The two kitties are secure in their carriers, and only one of them put up much of a fuss.  Only about three band-aids worth, though.  Spats was easy, because he likes me.  Gus - not so much.

I've parked the tractor and four-wheeler in the middle of the front yard, as far from fuels as I can get them. 

Equipment parked in front yard

So, at this point all the important stuff is as prepared as I can make it, with the tractor and four-wheeler being a bonus.  I don't want to think about losing the house and it's contents, but if that is fated, I can live with it.  Long ago I heard a wise talk-show radio host say "Never fall in love with something that can't love you back." 

So, I think I'm as prepared as I can be at this point.  All I can do now is wait and see what happens next.