FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Six BLM Alaska Fire Service Smokejumpers are mopping up a 4.6-acre fire that started near at Pitkas Point about 4 miles of southwest St. Mary’s after the first fire jump of the 2022 Alaska fire season for smokejumpers.
The Andreafsky River Fire (#044) was reported Monday afternoon, but based on the limited firefighting resources available this early in the season and reports from an Alaska State Trooper on scene that the fire activity had greatly subsided since initial reports, smokejumpers mobilized Tuesday morning. When smokejumpers got on scene of the fire this morning, they reported only smoke was visible without any active flames. They’ll continue to seek out and extinguish hotspots to ensure the fire if completely out and plan to demobilize Wednesday. The fire did not immediately threaten any structures, but had burned onto a Native allotment at the confluence of the Andreafsky and Kuskokwim rivers.
The fire is considered human caused.
As of 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, 42 fires have burned more than 10,314 acres statewide – the Kwethluk Fire making up almost all of those acres. Of those, 36 fires are considered human caused while six fires have unknown or undetermined causes.
Contact BLM Alaska Fire Service Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at eipsen@blm.gov or (907)388-2159 for more information.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 