BLM Alaska Fire Service continues to deal with new wildfires, most of which are burning in remote parts of the state and not immediately threatening identified sites of value.
With more reports coming in from the public and others detected by BLM AFS personnel flying to check out the new fires and monitor existing fires, the number of wildfires on the ground increased for a third day in row. As of Wednesday morning, 222 fires have burned 8,830 acres in the state, an increase of 62 fires and 6,928 acres in the past two days. Of those, 26 occurred Tuesday within the BLM AFS protection area that covers 191.5 million acres across the northern half of the state.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday that total number grew by nine with two new ones on both sides of the Pick River burning on BLM-managed land in Northwest Alaska. A third, the 2-acre Susie Fire (#256), popped up about 6 miles north of Rampart on the north side of the Yukon River opposite of the village. The fourth is the Judge Fire (#259) burning in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in Eastern Alaska. BLM AFS Military Zone personnel are on a flight to check out the Tractor Fire (#258) burning about 3 miles west of the Middle River, 2 miles north of the Salcha River and just north of the Tractor Trail.
The other four are Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection fires in the Fairbanks and Delta areas.
BLM AFS personnel will continue to conduct detection flights in the upcoming days to discover new starts and size up existing fires.
BLM AFS firefighters on the ground and even flying over the fires reported they are burning with a relatively low intensity. With most of the state not experiencing prolong hot and dry weather this summer, the deeper ground layers haven’t dried as they have in previous fire seasons. This means most fires are through mostly surface vegetation instead of deep in the duff layer that could complicate firefighters efforts to contain wildfires. But that could change as the hot weather lingers.
Thankfully, while isolated thunderstorms are still in the forecast, there will be fewer than what was seen the past few days that generated the significant fire increase. The lightning count has decreased since Monday’s high of 18,000 strikes. Today, there have only been about 1,800 strikes by 4 p.m.
Temperatures will remain above normal for the remainder of the week, but with higher humidity and relatively calm winds predicted, fire activity will rely upon the availability of burnable vegetation. This could hamper growth on most fires in BLM AFS protection area.
Here’s an update on some of the more significant fires within BLM AFS protection area:
Klaluthyiit Bluff (#219) – This fire is burning on Alaska Native lands about 14 miles southwest of Allakaket on the east side of the Kanuti River. This fire is estimated at about 100 acres and close to three Native allotments with two cabins within a half a mile of the fire. The fire was reported as backing, creeping and torching. The BLM AFS North Star crew are mobilizing by boat from Allakaket to protect the allotments. They had been working on a fuels project in Allakaket.
Champion Fire (#197) – The BLM AFS Midnight Sun Hotshots are on the ground of this fire burning 8.5 miles north of the Steese Highway. This fire was estimated at about 21 acres and is burning in a limited management option area. This typically means it’s allowed to perform its natural ecological role undisturbed. However, because the Fortymile caribou federal subsistence hunt on federal lands begins on Aug. 1, BLM land managers and BLM AFS fire managers agreed to take action on the fire before it impacts the upcoming hunt. The fire is burning in open tundra with some black spruce about 3 miles north of the Nome Creek West Road that turns left off of the U.S. Creek Road. The crew reported minimal fire activity on the fire and was gridding the fire area and extinguishing hot spots.
Moose Fire (#200) – Four of the six smokejumpers that deployed on the fire burning alongside milepost 100 Elliott Highway demobilized. The around 20-person Mooseheart Crew is assembling today from nearby Minto and Tanana to put the fire out. The fire is about 11.5 acres.
This photo from July 27, 2023 shows the Wickersham Fire (#240) the rock formation on the Beaver Creek called Big Bend is in the distance. Photo by Melissa Fischer, BLM AFS 
The Wickersham Fire (#240) is burning within the White Mountains National Recreational Area. This photo, taken on July 26, 2023, shows the only activity is on the southwest corner of the 154-acre fire. Photo by Melissa Fischer, BLM AFS
Wickersham Fire (#245) – This fire was estimated at 20 acres Tuesday and burning close to the western border and just within the White Mountains National Recreational Area.
Boulder Fire (#195) – Six smokejumpers demobilized Tuesday after they contained and controlled the 2-acre fire. It’s now in monitor status. It was burning just north of the Tanana Road west of Manley Hot Springs.
Biederman Fire (#192) – This approximately 250 acre fire is burning just north of the Biederman Bluff of the Yukon River in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in Eastern Alaska just about 50 miles east of the Canadian Border. It’s burning in a limited management option area and is allowed to function in its natural ecological role.
Morelock Fire (#205) – This fire estimated at 678 acres is burning about 28 miles northwest of Manley Hot Springs. It is not threatening any sites of value.
Contact BLM AFS Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at eipsen@blm.gov or 907-356-5510 for more information.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 