Winter trail fire grows

June 19 update:
Name: Winter Trail
Cause: Human
282 CALIS
Lat: 61:35:33
Lon: 159:50:26
Personnel: 127
Acres: 1,500.0
Start Date: 6/17/09

High winds hampered containment efforts once again. A lack of natural barriers in the area is making containment difficult. The fire has moved off the immediate river corridor in to an area with a large black spruce component and continues to move NW. The cloud ceiling in place over the fire burned off by mid afternoon, and in combination with increased SE winds, led to a sudden increase in fire activity. Fire behavior progressed from creeping and isolated single tree torching to group torching, running, and short range spotting in the afternoon. Crews continued to build and secure line along the flanks of the fire. Good progress was made from the anchor point down both flanks in the morning. The head of the fire was worked throughout the day by aircraft, which was ultimately unsuccessful. The fire burned through a wet area with a creek, and increased in intensity when it progressed back into an area of heavy spruce component. The fire gained approximately 500 acres.
A TFR has been placed over the fire area.