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Forecasted warm weather will likely increase fire behavior, smoke on the McDonald Fire

By BLM Alaska Fire Service on June 15, 2024

Size: 32,725.9 acres

Personnel: 54

Start Date: June 8, 2024

Cause: Lightning

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – After days of rain, warmer, drier weather will return to the McDonald Fire area this weekend, possibly increasing fire activity and smoke. The Blair Lakes remote weather station recorded 0.75 inches of rain since June 11, allowing firefighters to prepare a cluster of cabins on 5 Mile Creek. They successfully installed sprinkler systems for all 21 cabins and cleared vegetation to strengthen defensible space around the structures. They also improved trails for better access and egress. Firefighters should have all structure protection completed by end of the day.

firefighter with a chainsaw looking at the spruce that he is cutting in the bank of a river. — Firefighter making a face cut to safely drop a leaning spruce tree on the bank of 5 Mile Creek. June 14, 2024, Photo Credit BLM-AFS

Firefighter standing in the river near a fallen white spruce with a chainsaw — Firefighter preparing to remove a snag from 5 Mile Creek near the structure protection site. June 14, 2024, Photo Credit BLM-AFS

This week’s rain also kept the fire in check. While the northern and eastern edges of the fire remain active, there has been no movement and no acreage gains in several days. Firefighters also identified look-out spots to help with monitoring the main part of the fire. The return to clear skies should also aid in getting a good size up of the fire by aircraft and by satellite imagery which has been hampered by cloudy conditions. This may result in a change in the number of acres due to better mapping.

In addition to the 54 personnel assigned to the fire, DOF has 42 personnel staged near the McDonald Fire at Harding Lake. These crews, the Pioneer Peak Hotshots and Gannet Glacier, continue fuels mitigation work at the Harding Lake State Park and are prepared to quickly respond to any new starts in the Interior.

Weather Forecast: Warmer and drier conditions are expected this weekend as high pressure builds over the Interior. Temperatures will peak in the low 80s on Sunday. Minimum relative humidity will drop below 30% on Sunday but stay in the mid-30s during the week. Limited precipitation is expected, with scattered afternoon showers and isolated thunderstorms mainly over higher terrain to the northeast and east edges of the fire. Winds will be calm and westerly throughout the week, except for potential gusts during showers and storms.

Burn Permits: There are no DOF burn suspensions for the area. Please check
https://dnr.alaska.gov/burn/fireareas or call the burn permit hotline for the Fairbanks Area Forestry at (907) 451- 2631 for the most current updates.

Air Quality: None are issued for this area. Find information on how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke at the Smoke Management page on akfireinfo.com.

Evacuation notices: The Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) issued a Level 2: SET evacuation notice for the approximately 20 cabins that are near the fire’s southern edge. The FNSB also put areas along the lower Salcha River, Harding Lake, Hollies Acres, and Canaday neighborhoods in a READY status. Find more information and an interactive map of these areas on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Services website