Midnight Sun Hotshot Colton Witt hands Emmett Bonds a chainsaw while the crew was loading gear up destined for the Hog Butte Fire on June 7, 2022. Photo by Beth Ipsen, BLM AFS 
Midnight Sun Hotshot CNathaniel Klein places a chainsaw in the nose of the airplane that the crew flew to Lake Minchumina near the Hog Butte Fire on June 7, 2022. Photo by Beth Ipsen, BLM AFS 
Janson Marshall leads part of the Midnight Sun Hotshots to an airplane that will take them to Lake Minchumina while mobilizing for the Hog Butte Fire burning in Interior Alaska on June 7, 2022. Photo by Beth Ipsen, BLM AFS
The BLM Alaska Fire Service Midnight Sun Hotshots today joined the efforts to protect a Native allotment from the Hog Butte Fire (#185) burning about 39 miles southwest of Lake Minchumina.
The fire was very active on the south end while eight smokejumpers are working to protect an allotment to the northeast of the fire. The fire was estimated at just under 6,000 acres on Tuesday.
While there’s another allotment about 2.5 miles southeast of the fire, an aerial survey of the area by firefighting personnel determined this allotment was roughly 90% protected by natural barriers and an old burn. Instead, the smokejumpers and hotshots will keep their focus on the allotment 3 miles to the northeast. The east side of the fire was backing into the wind at a low to moderate rate of spread.
The lightning-caused fire ignited on Sunday and is burning in a limited management option area that as long as it doesn’t threaten any sites of value, is managed for the benefit of the natural ecological process.
The #HogButteFire (#185) was very active Tuesday afternoon as shown in these photos taken by a BLM Alaska Fire Service’s Ryan McPherson who was relaying information to firefighters on the ground and fire managers at AFS. Smokejumpers and the #MidnightSunHotshots are protecting a Native allotment from this fire burning about 3 miles away and 39 miles southwest of Lake Minchumina. 
The #HogButteFire (#185) was very active Tuesday afternoon as shown in these photos taken by a BLM Alaska Fire Service’s Ryan McPherson who was relaying information to firefighters on the ground and fire managers at AFS. Smokejumpers and the #MidnightSunHotshots are protecting a Native allotment from this fire burning about 3 miles away and 39 miles southwest of Lake Minchumina. 
The #HogButteFire (#185) was very active Tuesday afternoon as shown in these photos taken by a BLM Alaska Fire Service’s Ryan McPherson who was relaying information to firefighters on the ground and fire managers at AFS. Smokejumpers and the #MidnightSunHotshots are protecting a Native allotment from this fire burning about 3 miles away and 39 miles southwest of Lake Minchumina.
Smoke may be visible from Lake Minchumina or Telida 10 miles to the south.
It’s also burning about 5 miles north of the Rungun Creek Fire (#186) – another lightning-caused fire that ignited on Sunday. This fire generated response from the Alaska Division of Forestry – specifically a helitack module of firefighters, water-scoopers, helicopters dropping water and eight smokejumpers – to put this fire out.
The Hog Butte Fire is burning in predominately black spruce mixed with hardwoods and tundra. Warm, dry and windy weather have kept the fire very active.
Contact BLM Alaska Fire Service Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at (907)356-5510 or eipsen@blm.gov for more information.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 