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.
Burn permit suspensions have been lifted in the Fairbanks and Delta areas. This decision came as a result of precipitation and lower temperatures. This means that debris burning, burn barrels, and lawn burns are approved with a valid DOF small scale permit. You can get a permit at your local fire station or at https://dnr.alaska.gov/burn/ . Please continue to burn with safely, having your fire in a safe location with good clearance on all sides and fully extinguishing before you leave.
Cool and wet weather will persist throughout the weekend as series of fronts push across northern Alaska. Wetting rains are predicted for much of the region, with one-half to one-inch expected across a large portion of the Interior. Yukon Flats to Arctic Village is predicted to experience the least precipitation, with less than a quarter-inch of rain predicted in that area as well as portions of the Upper Tanana Valley. Friday afternoon will provide a brief lull in rainfall, but winds are expected to increase across Interior summits. A wind advisory is in effect for summits in the White Mountains and along the Steese Highway, east of 12 Mile Summit, where gusts up to 50 mph are expected. Temperatures will remain in the 50s to 60s and minimum relative humidities will be above 40.
There is still some lingering smoke in the Tanana River valley, which will likely clear throughout the day on Friday. The cool, wet weather pattern should limit smoke production; however, shifting winds and smoldering fires may still cause localized impacts. This will be the last daily regional Smoke Outlook unless we experience increased fire activity in the area. You can find Friday’s outlook at the following link:
https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/917091b7
Work continued Thursday on four staffed fires in the DOF Northern Region.
Sargent Creek Fire (#345) is a lightning caused fire south of the Chatanika River about 3.5 miles downstream from the Elliot Highway Chatanika bridge. 21 personnel are assigned to the fire and it is in a full response area. Firefighters found a handful of hotspots on the fire Thursday and worked to cool those areas. Later in the day, Unaweep Wildfire Module performed a full grid and found no heat or smoke. Final gridding will continue on the 1.3-acre fire which was fully contained and controlled as of Wednesday evening. Firefighters will begin to remove hoses, pumps and other equipment to prepare for backhaul and demobilization.
Shaw Creek Dome Fire (#326), 19.25 miles northeast of Big Delta located in a full response area and is estimated to be 11 acres with 17 personnel assigned. Gusty winds and sporadic rain have impacted the fire area. White Mountain module and Delta helitack worked to remove all heat from within 20 feet of the fire’s edge Thursday. Friday, firefighters are working to remove hazard trees (snags) in the fire area that have potential to come down with wind gusts so that crews can grid the interior of the fire footprint. Crews will perform a full grid of the perimeter today and prepare to grid the entire fire area once these snags have been safely felled.
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 1-acre with 20 personnel assigned. Thursday, Fairbanks Crew 1 worked to remove fire-weakened trees that could be threatened by wind gusts within the fire perimeter. Firefighters will be gridding the entire fire area today, looking for any remaining heat as well as preparing equipment for backhaul and demobilization.
Gold King Creek Fire (#276) – 46 miles south of Fairbanks in a limited response area. Drone operations continued yesterday to identify any remaining heat signatures within the fire perimeter. Light precipitation in the area helped to cool and slow fire activity. Paracargo missions delivered supplies to the incident yesterday afternoon. Heat detection and improvement of containment lines will continue today. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Gold King Creek Fire for the safe operation of firefighting aircraft. Pilots should check here, https://tfr.faa.gov/, before flying in the area.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 