BLM Alaska Fire Service Fire Update

By BLM Alaska Fire Service on July 9, 2024

Firefighters with Rifle Helitack “cold trail” along the edge of the Main Fire (#240) on July 8, 2024, west of Ruby, Alaska. Cold trailing involves carefully inspecting and feeling for any residual heat and then extinguishing any hotspots that are found. Credit: Micheal Voth, BLM Rifle Helitack

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, there were 157 active wildfires statewide with two new starts in the past 24 hours. So far, 328 fires have burned 579,648 acres across Alaska. Brief updates are provided for Tuesday’s staffed fires within the BLM Alaska Fire Service protection area. 

Deep (#213) – A community meeting was held with residents around Lake Minchumina on Monday evening to provide updates on fire activity and planned actions. With cooler weather and almost an inch of rain received, the Deep Fire continues to show minimal fire activity. On Tuesday, the Crow Helitack crew improved existing community protection lines as weather and firefighter safety allowed. The fire is 6 miles southwest of the community. It is estimated at 22,346 acres with 8 people assigned.

Main (#240) – The Main Fire received consistent rain Monday night into Tuesday morning. The fire is still showing some heat in the northeast corner. Firefighters continued to reinforce fire breaks to protect Ruby. Structure protection measures are in place. The Rifle Helitack crew flew to the Native allotments west of the fire on Monday. They “cold trailed” along the fire’s edge, carefully inspecting and feeling with their hands for residual heat, extinguishing any hotspots they found. Inclement weather on Tuesday prevented the crew from returning to the allotments, so they remained in Ruby to help improve lines there. The Main Fire is 7 miles southwest of Ruby. It is 24,537 acres. The reduction in acreage from Monday’s update is based on more precise mapping data. Eighty-four people are assigned to the fire.

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-BLM-

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, P.O. Box 35005, 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703

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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with a $18.1 million inventory. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.