Twenty smokejumpers supported by eight water scooper planes are working Sunday night to contain two new fires – one in the Tanana Zone and one in the Upper Yukon Zone.
The Dugan Fire (#354) is burning about 17 miles southwest of Minto. It was spotted by agency aircraft about 1:35 p.m. today. Eight smokejumpers and two water scooper planes are fighting the fire, which is estimated to be 4 acres. The fire was caused by lightning.
In the Upper Yukon Zone, 12 smokejumpers, six water scooper planes, and an air attack plane are fighting the Fortymile Fire (#355) near Fortymile Creek about 25 miles northwest of Beaver. The fire was reported about 2:15 p.m. today and is lightning caused. It is burning in thick black spruce and firefighters are reporting wind gusts of 15 to 20 mph.
The Dugan Fire is an example of a holdover fire. Holdover fires can smolder below the surface for days after a lightning strike until temperatures warm, vegetation dries, and wind breathes life into the hot spot. The area where the fire is burning has one of the driest duff layers in the Tanana Zone.
The forecast for the upcoming week calls for hot, dry weather across the Interior with daytime temperatures rising into the 80s and 20% relative humidity. The potential new fire starts, holdover fires, and rapid fire growth will increase as this weather pattern moves in.
-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. 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: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 