BLM Alaska Fire Service Fire Update

By BLM Alaska Fire Service on July 11, 2024

A firefighter with the Crow Helitack crew from the Crow Agency in Montana works on a fire break near Lake Minchumina, Alaska, on July 10, 2024, as part of an assignment to the Deep Fire (#213). Credit: BLM AFS

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, there were 155 active wildfires statewide with two new starts in the past 24 hours. So far, 330 fires have burned 584,309 acres across Alaska. Brief updates are provided for Thursday’s staffed fires within the BLM Alaska Fire Service protection area. 

Deep (#213) – With warmer temperatures and clearer skies Wednesday, the Crow Helitack crew was able to complete reconnaissance of the Deep Fire. The fire has reduced to smoldering and shows no growth outside of its current footprint. The crew continued with the removal of equipment and completed the community fire risk reduction project. Starting Thursday, crews are beginning a mission to remove pumps and hoses off of more than two miles of indirect line. Direct structure protection will remain in place. The fire is 6 miles southwest of the Lake Minchumina community. It is estimated at 22,346 acres with eight people assigned.

Main (#240) – Firefighters have less than a mile of fire break left to build in the Ruby area. The fire break is being built along a predetermined line. Crews continued their work at a pair of allotments on the fire’s western edge, looking for hotspots and eliminating them to prevent flare ups. Nine smokejumpers were demobilized from the fire on Wednesday. The BLM Alaska Fire Service North Star Crew is expected to arrive in Ruby on Thursday evening. Although classified as a Type 2 crew, the North Star Crew is trained and equipped to Interagency Hotshot standards. The Main Fire has experienced minimal fire activity for more than a week due to persistent rain, cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. The fire is 7 miles southwest of Ruby. It is 24,527 acres and has 58 people assigned.

Owl (#121) – Eight smokejumpers have been assigned to the fire, which was started by lightning on June 8. The smokejumpers are working to secure the northern edge to protect an allotment and prevent the fire from spreading or flaring up. They will also develop protection plans for other nearby allotments. The work is expected to take two to three days. The Owl Fire is 16,270 acres. It is about 90 miles southeast of Fort Yukon near the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge along the Grayling Fork of the Draanjik River, formerly known as the Black River. This will be the only update for this fire, unless conditions change.

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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.