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Smokejumpers, scoopers respond to new wildfire east of Teller

By BLM Alaska Fire Service on July 4, 2025

Twelve smokejumpers and multi-engine scooper planes that were staged in Galena are working to contain a new wildfire 26 miles east of Teller.

White plumes of wildfire smoke rise from the ground in the distance below rolling hills. — The Duck Fire burns about 26 miles east of Teller on July 4. *Graphite One Inc.*

The Duck Fire (#379) was reported Friday morning. It is near the northwest shore of the Imuruk Basin. The fire is about 11 miles away from the Graphite Creek Camp. There is no immediate danger or hazard to the camp or its personnel. There are also Alaska Native allotments to the southwest and southeast of the fire.

The Duck Fire is lightning caused. There were three thunderstorms reported in the Imuruk Basin last night. One of the storms moved over the area where the fire is burning.

The Shiliak Fire is seen from the air on July 3, the day it was first reported. The fire was 20% contained less than 24 hours later thanks to the work of smokejumpers and the pilots of several firefighting aircraft. Jamie Mayor, BLM Alaska Smokejumpers

Elsewhere in the Galena Zone, 12 smokejumpers aided by scooper planes and a helicopter continue to fight the Shiliak Fire (#374). The fire, which is about 25 miles northeast and across the water from Kotzebue, was 20% contained less than 24 hours after it was first reported. It is estimated at 20 acres.

Both the Duck Fire and the Shiliak Fire are being fought using a full containment/control strategy due to the potential threats they pose to allotments and other values at risk.

-BLM-

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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.