A detection flight yesterday flew several fires in the Alaska Fire Service (AFS) Upper Yukon Zone, which covers northeastern Alaska, to monitor fire behavior and activity. Daily helicopter reconnaissance flights on the Ptarmigan Complex fires are also helping firefighters determine future work and resource needs based on fire behavior.
The detection flight included the 50,657-acre Christian Fire (#255) 50 miles north of Fort Yukon. The fire was showing a 10% active perimeter, burning in black spruce and tundra. Fire behavior was minimal, with smoldering and creeping observed. This and other active fires in the zone will continue to be monitored.
The only staffed fires in the Upper Yukon Zone are part of the Ptarmigan Complex. On recent overflights, staff have observed some interior heat but little on the fire perimeters. These flights, combined with localized weather conditions and other area outlook information, are being used to prioritize upcoming work and right-size incident staffing levels.
Yesterday, the Crow Peak Wildland Fire Module from the Black Hills National Forest pulled all hose and pumps that had been positioned near a Alaska Native allotment north of the Turtle Fire (#243). They also finished cutting wildlife passages into a nearby fuel break. Today is their last working day on the Complex, and they will spend it working with aviation resources to backhaul equipment off the fire.
The Ptarmigan Complex will experience another warm day with low humidity. Despite dry weather, fire behavior is moderating, allowing some firefighters to be released from the incident and remaining personnel to focus on monitoring, equipment removal, and restoration efforts.
A PDF of this update can be found here.
For more information, contact the BLM AFS Public Affairs Office at (907)356-5511 or blm_ak_afs_public_affairs@blm.gov.
–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 