Update 6 p.m., July 21, 2025: Due to reduced wildland fire activity and successful suppression efforts on the Turtle Fire (#243) and other fires in the Ptarmigan Complex, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office lifted the fire closure order that temporarily closed the Lower Birch Creek Wayside near mile 140 of the Steese Highway. The closure ended today, leaving no remaining public access closures or evacuation notices associated with the Turtle Fire or the Ptarmigan Complex.
The full announcement can be viewed here.
12:30 p.m., July 21, 2025: Crews continue extinguishing hotspots along the edge of existing fires in the BLM Alaska Fire Service (AFS) Upper Yukon Zone that covers the northeastern Alaska as fire managers keep a watchful eye toward new starts in the region. Two fires were discovered Sunday via remote sensing on the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. The Ripple Fire (#468) is approximately 2 acres in size, with creeping, backing, and isolated torching behavior observed. The Sheenjek Fire (#467) is approximately 7 acres in size with creeping, backing, and isolated torching behavior in white and black spruce observed. Both fires will be monitored by occasional BLM AFS flights over the area.
Cloudy, cooler weather with the potential for showers across the Upper Yukon Zone early in the week will help crews make progress towards their objectives.
Tlozhavun Fire (#448) – Incident staff continue to execute a full suppression strategy on the Tlozhavun Fire, which is located approximately 10 miles south of Fort Yukon. The fire is 22 acres in size and 80% contained. Crews extinguished hotspots within 100 feet of the perimeter Sunday and observed no smoke on the fire.
Today, firefighters will transition to griding the entire fire. Griding involves carefully walking the entire affected area in a structured pattern to detect hidden heat and extinguish any found hotspots.
Ptarmigan Complex – A Type 4 management organization is in place with firefighter and aviation resources assigned to the fires.
- Crews continued to mop up the north edge of the Turtle Fire (#243) on Sunday, making sure all hot spots were extinguished within 200 feet of the perimeter. Today, the Alaska Range Suppression Module and Crow Peak Wildland Fire Module will continue to work towards extinguishing all hotspots 300 feet in from the perimeter.
- The Deadwood Fire (#214), Birch Fire (#256), Buckley Bar Fire (#264), and Alligator Fire (#265) all continue to be in monitor status.
Christian Fire (#255) – The Christian Fire, located on the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge approximately 50 miles north of Fort Yukon, was discovered June 20. Four personnel have been assigned to the 46,847-acre fire. Firefighters completed a burnout operation around a sensor site Sunday to protect it from fire. The fire will continue to be monitored and managed to allow it to function in its natural ecological role.
A PDF of the daily update can be downloaded here.
–BLM–
Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service
P.O. Box 35005 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703
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Learn more at http://www.blm.gov/AlaskaFireService, and on Facebook.
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 