Sockeye fire resources

MAT-SU — As we begin the transition from response to recovery from the Sockeye Fire in Willow, here are some resources to help find information about everything fire related — from air quality and road closures to flight restrictions and information about how to help.

Air quality advisories

Air quality advisories are online at 1.usa.gov/1jhCLaM, more information at dec.alaska.gov/air.

Banking

Some banking institutions are waiving certain fees for people with property damage or who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the Sockeye fire. Contact your bank and ask is relief is available.

Big Lake plans fundraiser for fire victims

Plans are underway to hold a fundraiser in July at the Big Lake Lions Rec center to assist with relief efforts for the fire victims. To help with the event, contact Ina Mueller at (907) 230-0935, or lakeshoreentertaining@gmail.com.

Books for Sockeye youths

Chandra McCain is behind a GoFundMe page called “Books for Sockeye youth victims,” which aims to raise $925 to donate books to school-age children from elementary through high school. Visit bit.ly/1esy1VD.

Burning and fireworks suspended

The Mat-Su Borough is included in the expanded suspension of fireworks issued by the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office in accordance with Alaska Administrative Code 50.025 Fire Code. Kenai, Fairbanks and Anchorage borough also are included in the fireworks suspension. A burn closure on state, private, Bureau of Land Management and municipal lands also is in place until further notice. People are advised to report fires and people using fireworks by calling 911. For more information, visit 1.usa.gov/1j3XFdr.

Campgrounds closed

• Willow and Nancy Lake area campgrounds — Willow Creek, South Rolly, and Nancy Lake — are expected to reopen Monday. For more information, contact 907-269-8400.

Clothing donations

• Younique Boutique in Meta Rose Square is collecting and distributing clothing for men and women.

Contact numbers

• Recorded incident hotline, 907-761-3700

• Alaska Division of Forestry, 907-761-6233

• Questions about the Sockeye Fire, 907-861-8326

• Forestry fire information 907-356-5511

• Incident Command Post 892-9413, or 892-9450

Dog and horse boarding

• Happy Trails Kennel, 19391 W Lakes Blvd., is offering horse and dog boarding — 907-892-7899.

• Lynda Plettner, 12528 Hawk Ln., Mile 53, Parks Highway is taking evacuated horses and ponies, including stallions and foals. Call Heather Jewell at 355-1967.

• Scott Janssen has volunteered the Janssen Mat-Su Funeral home on the Parks Highway near Trunk Road to shelter people and animals, 907-279-5477.

• Alaska Equine Rescue — Heather Robb at 841-6184, or Kellie Ballard at 440-0043.

• Alaska State Fairgrounds is boarding horses and livestock, call Jesse Stubblefield at 341-9502.

Donations for dogs

• Eagle Pack dog food has donated complimentary dog food in support of the sled dogs displaced by the fire. Displaced mushers may stop by Happy Trails Kennel in Big Lake to pick up food for their kennels.

• Alaska Dog and Puppy and VCA Big Lake Animal Hospital are accepting donations for dogs through their respective Facebook pages.

• Kari Skogan, Lisbet Norris and JP Norris are collecting donations to help animals displaced by the fire — 373-6851.

Donations for people

• “Sockeye Relief Fund” has been established to collect contributions to aid in the recover of those displaced by the fire. Mail donations to United Way of Mat-Su, 550 S. Alaska St., Suite 205, Palmer, AK, 99645. For more information, or to donate using a credit card, call 745-5858.

• Donate to the Salvation Army’s “Sockeye Fire Relief” online at http://po.st/sockeyefire, by phone at (907) 276-2515, or by mail at The Salvation Army Alaska Division, 143 E. 9th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501. Attn: Disaster Relief

• Donate to the American Red Cross by texting AKFIRE to 41444, or donate online at redcross.org/alaska. Donations may also be sent by mail, or hand delivered, to the 235 E. 8th Ave #200, Anchorage. Wells Fargo customers can use one of its 116 ATMs statewide to donate without a bank fee through July 1.

• Kari Skogan, Lisbet Norris and JP Norris at Underdog Feeds are collecting donations to aid people displaced by the fire — 373-6851.

Facebook resources

• Alaska DNR- Division of Forestry

• Alaska Interagency Incident Management

• American Red Cross of Alaska

• Anchorage Office of Emergency Management

• BLM Alaska Fire Service

• Matanuska-Susitna Borough

• Sockeye Willow Fire Pet and Home Resource Finder

• Sockeye Fire

• The Salvation Army Alaska Division

• Willow Community Rebuild Project

Internet resources

• akfireinfo.com

• fire.ak.blm.gov

• 1.usa.gov/1Lc5KzG

• weather.gov/Alaska

• matsugov.us

Hashtag

Search and post information about the fire on social media using the hashtag #‎SockeyeFire. Typos also mean some of the info posted using this hashtag can be found under #SockeyFire.

Hazards in the burn area

People returning to the fire area may notice smoke and other signs of fire smoldering in the area. People are advised to watch for these hazards to avoid injury. Watch for trees with burned out root systems that can topple easily. Do not walk in the burned area. White ash may indicate pockets of deep ash where roots and other vegetation continues to burn below the ground level.

Help kennels rebuild

The Willow area is home to several sled dog kennels, some of which were destroyed or evacuated in the Sockeye Fire. An estimated 400 to 500 dogs were moved out of the fire area in the first few hours of the burn.

Two crowd-source funding pages have been created to help the kennels rebuild.

Donate online to a Gofundme page to “Help Our Mushers Rebuild Dog Lots, at gofundme.com/x22v98, or to the Willow Dog Mushers Association page “Help Willow Mushers Rebuild” fund on YouCaring, bit.ly/1FYdqir. Or, mail checks to WDMA, PO Box 858, Willow, AK 99688. Include “Fire Relief Fund” in the memo.

Housing help

People who need to find a room, cabin or apartment to rent may visit matsuavailability.com, which shows open rooms at area bed and breakfast businesses.

Incident command

The Incident Command Post is at the Houston High School. The public is welcome to visit, or call for information about the fire at (907) 892-9413 or (907) 892-9450, or email Sockeyefire@gmail.com.

Low-tech fire information

Incident command is posting information on signboards at various points between Wasilla and Talkeetna to update the community about the Sockeye fire. Map and signboards are located at the Willow Community Center, Houston Middle School, Sockeye Road, Tesoro at Talkeetna Y, Miller’s Market in Houston and at the Parks Highway and Pittman.

Flyers with information from incident command about the Sockeye fire are available at theses locations and at Willow Post Office.

The information will be updated each afternoon.

When the checkpoints come down on Monday, signboards also will be placed at those intersections.

Parks Highway open

Traffic control points on the Parks Highway, and within the fire perimeter, are expected to be lifted Monday. Pilot cars remain in operation between Willow Fishhook Road at Mile 71, Parks and Sheep Creek Road, Mile 78, Parks.

Red Cross of Alaska collection points

• GCI store in Wasilla, 1879 E. Parks Highway, and its Anchorage and Eagle River stores also are accepting Red Cross donations. Items such as clothing, blankets, food, diapers, dog and cat food and other nonperishable items are recommended.

• MY House, 300 Willow St., Wasilla, is accepting donations on behalf of the Red Cross. Donate people food, dry dog food and bottled water.

• If you have donations, but aren’t sure if it can be accepted, call 373-4357.

• Hope for Heroes, 1201 N. Lucille St Unit 101, Wasilla, is collecting food and supply donations for the Salvation Army’s meals program at the evacuation shelter. And for Central Mat-Su Fire Department. Salvation Army needs Gatorade, ice, breakfast bars, individually wrapped snacks, protein bars (no chocolate), store bought pre-packaged meals such as lasagna, juice boxes/pouches. Mat-Su Central needs water, Gatorade, individual snacks and protein bars with no chocolate.

• Spenard Builders Supply locations in Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer, Fairbanks, Kenai, Soldotna and Seward are working in partnership with the American Red Cross to collect donations to help the victims and firefighters affected by the recent wildfires around the state. Needed items include non-perishable food, bottled water, diapers, baby wipes, gently used or new clothing, blankets, towels, fans, dog food, horse feed, gift cards for food or clothing, paper plates, toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries and Gatorade or other sports drinks.

Red Cross clean-up/recovery kits

The Red Cross has set up an assistance center at the Curtis D. Menard Sports Center in Wasilla to aid people impacted by the Sockeye fire.

The Red Cross will provide clean-up and recovery kits in addition to meeting one on one with families to talk about identify available resources aid in recovery.

Clean-up and recovery kits resources such as shovels, buckets, gloves, trash bags, dust masks and toiletries.

Red flag warning

There is a Red Flag Warning in effect for the Susitna and Matanuska valleys through 9 p.m., Thursday for strong wind and low relative humidity. For more information, visit 1.usa.gov/1GICf5N.

Report dangerous fires

Call 911 and report fires in the burn perimeter that are an imminent threat to life or property. Report fires involving structures, or crowning or torching of large trees.

Resources to share

If you have resources to share with those in the path of the fire, or if you need help getting yourself and your animals out of the path of the fire, the Red Cross is collecting a list of those contacts. To add your resources or help needed list, call 907-444-7494.

Road closures

Get current road closure information and sign up for email alerts at 511.alaska.gov, or call 511. The Parks Highway remains open, with traffic led by pilot cars from Mile 71 through Mile 78. Remaining traffic controls and checkpoints are expected to be removed Monday.

Sockeye fire fundraiser is June 28

Klondike Mike’s Saloon has organized a spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser to support the people and animals displaced by the Sockeye fire from 5 to 8 p.m., June 28. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Drop of silent auction or cash donations at Klondike Mike’s, 820 S. Colony Way, Palmer.

Shelters available

• Some of the hundreds of people and more pets displaced by the Sockeye Fire have sought refuge in two Red Cross shelters set up at Houston Middle School and on the other side of the fire area at the Upper Susitna Senior Center. More than 480 individuals overnight stays have been provided to individuals since Sunday. Call the Red Cross Houston Shelter at 444-7494.

• Evacuated families and individuals are encouraged to register with the “Red Cross Safe and Well” website, redcross.org. Or, register by phone at 1-800-733-2767. Once registered, the public site provides a way for people to register and communicate their well-being to family and friends.

Temporary Flight Restrictions

Temporary Flight Restrictions remain in place over the Sockeye Fire area. Civilian aircraft access is now allowed from midnight to 8:30 a.m. through July 17. This includes access to Willow Lake, Long Lake and the Willow Airport. For more information, visit http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp.