Situation: Initial activity was light on Wednesday. There are 27 staffed fires across the state. The statewide total acres burned for the year has increased to nearly 270,000 acres, with more than 155,000 acres in the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) response area.
There are two complex incident management teams (CIMT), and three Type 3 incident management teams (IMT3) assigned to fire within the DOF response area. Alaska remains at Preparedness Level (PL) 4.
Evacuations of all levels remain in place in Fairbanks North Star and Denali Boroughs. Level 1 “Ready” and Level 2 “Set” evacuation orders are still in effect in Tok. Travel along the Parks Highway continues to be delayed between MP 259–278 due to Bear Creek Fire activity. DOF continues to work closely with the Alaska State Troopers and DOT&PF to minimize travel delays.
Alaska National Guard and SEOC Provide Targeted Support
The Alaska National Guard (AKNG) has provided a Blackhawk helicopter, water tenders, and service members to support the Bear Creek and Nelchina Glacier Fires. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) is activated with field operators embedded in Fairbanks, Denali, and Tok to support evacuations.
Weather: Temperatures will remain warm in the northeast corner of Alaska today, while the rest of the state will be in the 60s. A band of moisture is expected to move into the western Interior in the afternoon. Thunderstorms are likely, but we do not expect as many strikes as we have seen recently. Most of the thunderstorm activity will be focused in the west and along the Brooks Range. Winds will pick up in the northwest corner of Alaska, with gusty winds in the Copper River Basin and other parts of south-central Alaska.
On Friday, there is still a chance for wet thunderstorms across the northern half of Alaska but will be diminish my Friday afternoon. Maximum temperatures will return to the low 70s, with the warmest temperatures in the northeast Interior.
Moderating temperatures and rain will keep fire behavior subdued in the short-term. Fires will continue to burn in the upper and mid duff layers despite ample rainfall. Air quality has improved, with only a few areas experiencing lingering smoke on Thursday.
Burn Permit Suspension: A burn permit suspension remains in effect for the DOF Northern and Coastal Regions due to the number of fires across the state.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 