With wildfire danger moderating in some parts of the state due to cooler, wetter weather, the Alaska Division of Forestry is lifting the campfire closure order that was put into effect last week on state, private and municipal lands in the following boroughs and geographic regions effective at noon on Sunday, July 14:
- Denali Borough
- Fairbanks North Star Borough
- Tanana Valley including Delta, Nenana, Northway, Tanacross, Tok and surrounding communities.
Campfire restrictions will remain in effect for the following boroughs and geographic areas:
- Copper River Valley, including Glennallen south to Valdez
- Kenai Peninsula Borough
- Municipality of Anchorage
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Fire managers will continue to monitor conditions daily and adjust campfire closures and Area burn permit suspensions as conditions change. Burn permit suspensions prohibiting open debris burning and the use of burn barrels are currently in place in all Division of Forestry protection areas and will be re-evaluated daily based on conditions. Residents should contact their local forestry office or go online at http://forestry.alaska.gov/burn to determine whether there is a burn suspension in effect in their area. For the a downloadable PDF version of the campfire closure order go to Campfire Closure Rescinding Order 7-14-19
Here is a map showing the areas of the state where campfires are allowed and prohibited. For a downloadable PDF version of this map, go to Campfire Closure PDF map for July 14.
While conditions have moderated in some northern portions of the state, wildfire danger remains high in the southern half of the state, particularly in the Copper River Basin, Southwest Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The campfire closure and burn suspensions in those areas will remain in place until conditions change.
Even though the campfire closure has been lifted in the northern half of the state, people using camp, warming or cooking fires still need to be vigilant to ensure they are burning safely. Campfires must be less than 3 feet in diameter and you should have water and tools nearby to keep the fire in check. Fires should never be left unattended and must be completely extinguished before leaving the site. To do this, drown the fire repeatedly with water and stir it with a stick or shovel until it is cold to the touch. Any fires over 3 feet in diameter require a small-scale burn permit from the Alaska Division of Forestry.
As of Saturday, there were 173 active wildfires burning in Alaska and more than 2,100 firefighting personnel were working to contain them. Given the number of fires currently burning in Alaska and the limited resources available to fight them, the Division of Forestry implores Alaskans and visitors alike to adhere to any campfire closures or burn permit suspension that are in place where they are and follow safe burning practices listed on the Alaska Division of Forestry webpage at http://forestry.alaska.gov/Assets/pdfs/home/Safe%20burning%20practices.pdf.
CONTACT: Tim Mowry, 907-356-5511, tim.mowry@alaska.gov.
Categories: AK Fire Info
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 