Residents urge Daee water-drafting site, warn against permanent equipment at Matthews Creek

At a Skagway Municipality assembly meeting, residents and the fire department clashed over recommended locations for water-drafting equipment and personnel to respond to wildland and structure fires in outlying areas.

Michael Gee, a Naku Bay resident, told the assembly the assessment’s recommended reliance on Matthews Creek is “deeply troubling,” saying the creek is “the sole clean drinking water source for Naku Bay residents” and warning that placing diesel-powered drafting equipment in the conservation area would harm salmon habitat. He urged establishing a drafting point in Daee instead, where he said response times would be shorter and the population and commercial structures create a higher seasonal fire risk.

The assembly’s fire representative described recent capacity improvements — a grant-funded Argo vehicle, a shallow-water response vessel and staged draft units used in pilots — and said officials are working to map a multi-point water-drafting strategy rather than relying on a single permanent installation. “It’s important to have multiple areas,” the chief said, describing water-shuttle logistics and the need for a command structure to support shuttles, prestaged tanks and draft commanders.

Residents and one commenter who identified herself as Lynn supplied local detail: about 10 homes on Naku Road, more than 15 year-round homes in what the speaker and others referred to as Daee, and several seasonal homes and small businesses. That local context underpinned repeated calls for a midpoint solution — tanks or mobile bladders, a shallow well, or a drafting site closer to Daee — so response times and shuttle distances would be reduced.

Fire staff acknowledged environmental concerns and said inclusion in the strategic plan does not guarantee implementation of a specific action. The chief noted studies and coordination would continue, including looking at whether a dry cabin could be used for stationing certified responders temporarily, but emphasized that any staging or permanent installation would be balanced against conservation protections and community input.

The discussion produced no formal vote; staff said they will continue evaluating alternatives and working with the mayor and advisory boards on a site-selection plan and possible pilot deployments.