A Division of Forestry heliattack crew, eight BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers and four water-scooping Fire Boss airplanes rushed to aggressively attack a wildfire burning 17 miles east of Lake Louise Thursday evening. It was the second fire of the day for Copper River Area Forestry. A private aircraft reported the fire to the Tok […]
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Archive | August, 2017
Two new fires keep firefighters busy in Copper River Basin Thursday
August 11, 2017 
Comments Off on Two new fires keep firefighters busy in Copper River Basin Thursday
Jet load of crews head south to help with busy fire season
August 11, 2017 Comments Off on Jet load of crews head south to help with busy fire season
A mixture of young and veteran Alaska firefighters left BLM Alaska Fire Service facilities at Fort Wainwright Friday morning to help with the busy fire season in the Lower 48. Three emergency firefighter crews from Upper Kalskag, Selawik and Noorvik plus the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanook Fire Crew were handed two sack lunches and boarded […]
Continue readingFireworks start wildfire near Gakona
August 10, 2017 Comments Off on Fireworks start wildfire near Gakona
Firefighters scrambled early Thursday morning to put out a wildfire burning near the Copper River that was ignited by fireworks. The .5 Tok Cut-off Fire (#389) started below a bluff overlooking the Copper River. Fireworks aren’t prohibited in the area despite a burn suspension in place for open debris piles and burn barrels. The Copper River Area […]
Continue reading DOF firefighters contain fire near Nenana after locals use bucket brigade to douse flames
August 9, 2017 Comments Off on DOF firefighters contain fire near Nenana after locals use bucket brigade to douse flames
Local residents formed a bucket brigade to knock down a wildfire they found burning next to the Middle Tanana River near Nenana yesterday. Five residents, including a couple of men with past wildland firefighting experience, worked on the fire until an BLM Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS) helicopter and Alaska Division of Forestry (DOF) firefighters […]
Continue readingCrews continue to seek out hot spots on Chistochina River Fire
August 9, 2017 Comments Off on Crews continue to seek out hot spots on Chistochina River Fire
Crews continue mopping up the Chistochina River Fire (#381). They secured at least 50 feet in from the fire’s perimeter yesterday. The goal is to ensure the entire 98 acre fire is mopped up and all hot spots are extinguished. This should be enough work to keep the remaining crews busy until early next week. […]
Continue readingChistochina River Fire 100% contained
August 8, 2017 Comments Off on Chistochina River Fire 100% contained
As of Monday night, the Chistochina River Fire (#381) is 100 percent contained. Crews continue mopping up the fire that burned near Mile 36.5 Tok Cutoff since Friday. There has been no increase in acreage since firefighters and water-scooping aircraft caught the fire at 98 acres on Friday. Since then, crews have worked feverishly to […]
Continue readingChistochina River Fire Considered 75% Contained
August 7, 2017 Comments Off on Chistochina River Fire Considered 75% Contained
The Chistochina River Fire was estimated to be 75 percent contained today as crews continue to work on putting in saw line and hoselays around the 98-acre fire near mile 36.5 mile of the Tok Cutoff. Fire officials expect to have the fire fully contained within the next day. The area received light precipitation yesterday, […]
Continue reading Firefighters work on Chistochina River Fire containment line
August 6, 2017 Comments Off on Firefighters work on Chistochina River Fire containment line
Activity was relatively quiet on the Chistochina River Fire (#381) today as firefighters continue to work on getting a containment line around the entire 98-acre fire burning near mile 36.5 Tok Cutoff. There are a total of 44 people working on the fire. Three Type 2 crews – the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanook Fire Crew […]
Continue readingFirefighters, scoopers continue work on Chistochina Fire
August 5, 2017 Comments Off on Firefighters, scoopers continue work on Chistochina Fire
Firefighters and water-scoopers jumped into action Saturday morning to catch spot fires from the Chistochina River Fire (#381). On Friday, firefighters on the ground and the four water-scooping Fire Boss airplanes stopped the fire 75-100 yards from nearby homes and the highway. Today, Fire Boss aircraft dropped water from the air while firefighters used hose […]
Continue readingFirefighters working on fire near Chistochina
August 4, 2017 Comments Off on Firefighters working on fire near Chistochina
Efforts are underway on the ground and in the air to contain a fire burning off of mile 36.5 Tok Cutoff near Chistochina. The Chistochina River Fire (#381) was reported by someone in the area at about 3 p.m. It was reported to be one acre and burning about an eighth of a mile from […]
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