FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Starting as early as Sunday, April 13, the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS), in coordination with the U.S. Army Garrison Alaska, will conduct prescribed fires in the Donnelly Training Area near Delta Junction to reduce wildfire risk. Operations may continue through May 4 depending on weather conditions.
Prescribed fires are planned in two areas:
- East of the Delta River, 3 to 15 miles south of Delta Junction.
- West of the Delta River, about 15 miles southwest of Delta Junction.
Prescribed burns are fires that are intentionally set under controlled conditions to remove dry, dead grass and lower the risk of wildfires that could impact nearby communities. Removing this hazardous vegetation in the spring under more moderate conditions allows for the greatest degree of control and the lowest risk for negative impacts, such as smoke. Taking these preventative measures now will decrease the fire danger during the summer when conditions are hotter, the surrounding woods are drier and more receptive to burning, and firefighting resources may be limited.
Fires will be ignited only when favorable weather conditions are present and forecasted. An approved burn plan is in place that includes authorization from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) Division of Air Quality.
Smoke may be visible during burning operations from Delta Junction, the Richardson Highway, the Alaska Highway, and from within the Donnelly Training Area. BLM AFS is working with the ADEC and the National Weather Service to monitor smoke conditions and to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal air quality regulations. There are also procedures in place to halt ignitions if conditions become unfavorable. Trained personnel will monitor the prescribed fire areas until the fires are out.
For more information, contact BLM AFS Public Information Specialist Beth Ipsen at (907) 356-5510 or the Yukon Fire Dispatch Center at (907) 356-5554.
Download a PDF version of this News Release.
-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 Alaska Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska fire and 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 $30 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.
Categories: AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service, Donnelly Training Area, Prescribed Fire
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 