PHOTOS: On July 22, Tok Area DOF responded to a smoke report near the 60 Mile Butte area, northwest of Tanacross and Tok. A helicopter reconnaissance flight located a light, wispy smoke column from a roughly .5-acre fire near Mansfield Lake and 2.5 miles from Mansfield Village plotting in Full Protection. Fire Bosses, Air Attack, two loads of helitack, and one load of smokejumpers responded.
The fire was determined to be caused from a 2-week-old lightning strike which had been laying dormant until the recent fuel and weather conditions heated back up in the Tok area. The fire was burning in slash and timber with two-foot flame lengths and moderate to high spread potential.
Fire Bosses and helitack worked through the evening, dropping water on the fire to knock down flames and heat. 8 smokejumpers and 7 firefighters from Tok Area DOF remained working on the fire overnight.