This is a report on fires occurring in Division of Alaska Forestry & Fire Protection northern protection areas, generally north of the Alaska Range. These include the DOF Prevention areas of Fairbanks, Delta Junction and Tok.
Sunday is forecast to be the warmest and driest day this season before a slow cooling trend begins. Isolated, wet thunderstorms Sunday will be more prevalent, including the Tanana Valley. The Southeast Interior and Fortymile Uplands also will experience widely scattered wet thunderstorms. These conditions are favorable for new fire starts. DOF Burn Permit suspension remains in place the Fairbanks, Delta and Tok fire prevention areas.
Smoke will continue to significantly impact the air quality and visibility, particularly in the Fairbanks area and south along the Richardson Highway corridor. Westerly winds forecast on Monday should improve the situation in the Middle Tanana Valley but will push the smoke east along the Alaska Highway corridor including the Fortymile country and Eagle.
There were no new fires reported in DOF’s northern region Saturday, but three fires are staffed with firefighters.
Last Chance Creek Fire (#305) – 11 miles east of Fox near Fort Knox Gold Mine in a full response area. The fire is estimated to be 2-acres with 12 personnel assigned. On Saturday firefighters continued to secure the fire’s perimeter and build a hose lay. A dozer cleared a landing zone for helicopters to deliver and retrieve equipment, supplies, and firefighters. It also improved a dozer line to a road for better access. The dozer will go direct along the fire’s edge Sunday creating a dozer line so that firefighters can complete their hose lay surrounding the burned area.
Totchaket Slough Fire (#297) – 15 miles north of Nenana in full response area and is estimated to be 1 acre with 15 personnel assigned. Firefighters have controlled and contained the fire. Saturday, they completed a saw line surrounding the fire and have plumbed it with pumps and hose lays. The perimeter is secure, but some areas of heat remain in the interior. Firefighters report the fire has burned deep into the duff and will take several days to mop up.
Gold King Creek Fire (#276) – 46 miles south of Fairbanks in a limited response area and is estimated to be 2,804 acres with 36 personnel assigned. Smokejumpers and Yukon crew are clearing around structures in the cabin community of Gold King where the fire has burned right up to the edge of the Gold King Creek. They are setting up pumps, hose lays and sprinkler kits. The fire remains west of Gold King Creek. Firefighters are constructing an indirect fireline around the community for defense if the fire threatens again.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 