Work progresses on a pair of fires burning in the Yukon Flats as cloud cover and a sprinkle of rain kept fire behavior subdued Sunday.
The Type 3 organization managing the Marten Creek Fire (#386) is downsizing to a Type 4 operation today with the bulk of firefighting personnel operating in Venetie. The 625-acre fire is smoldering in a combination of spruce and tundra.
Both the BLM Alaska Fire Service North Star Crew and the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanook Fire Crew have been improving an indirect fire break established around Venetie in 2004 and constructing new fire breaks to protect the village from this and future fires.
The area’s consistent southwesterly winds are predicted to shift to the northeast tonight, which could push the fire toward Venetie. The fire is still about 13 miles northeast of the village.
Smokejumpers remaining on the Discovery Creek Fire (#388) continue to hold the fire north of a Native allotment sitting at the confluence of the Chekhechunnjik Creek and the North Fork of the East Fork of the Teedriinjik (Chandalar) River. They will continue to monitor areas of concern and weigh options to ensure the fire doesn’t impact the allotment. This fire is about 30 miles northwest of Venetie in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Fire danger remains high in the Yukon Flats due to lingering dry conditions. The forecast includes temperatures in the low 80s tempered by significant cloud cover. People are cautioned to be careful their outdoor activities do not spark a new wildfire.
Contact BLM AFS Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at (907)356-5510 or eipsen@blm.gov for more information
| Fire | Cause | Start Date | Estimated Acres | Personnel Assigned as of 7/31 |
| Marten Creek | Lightning | July 25 | 625 | 53 |
| Discovery Creek | Lightning | July 26 | 872 | 8 |
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Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 