It was a very active this past week in the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP) response area with over a dozen new fires reported. These are in addition to the eight fires that were reported in the response area of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS), formerly known as BLM Alaska Fire Service, over the past week.
Early Tuesday morning, May 12th, unknown persons reportedly lit a bag of garbage on fire off of South Trunk Road in the Mat-Su Borough and left the area. Winds carried the fire into adjacent grass fuels. DFFP firefighters arrived to find no active fire. Personnel mopped up the burned area of the S Sunrise View Circle Fire (046) and declared the 0.5-acre fire out.
Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center (FECC) on Wednesday, May 13th, was notified of a tree on a power line starting a brush fire off of Chena Hot Springs Road. DFFP and North Star Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the 9 Mile Hill Fire (051) where they found a 0.5-acre fire smoldering in grass and brush. Once Golden Valley Electric Association deenergized the power line firefighters extinguished the fire and placed it in monitor status.
FECC on Wednesday, May 13th, was notified of a brush fire spreading to the trees in the Goldstream Valley. DFFP and Chena Goldstream Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the Goldstream Road Fire (054) and discovered a 50-by-100 feet brush pile that had escaped into the grass. Resources extinguished the escapement and called the 0.5-acre fire out. A DFFP Prevention Officer educated the property owner on safe burning practices and issued a Small-Scale Burn Permit.
Mat-Su Communications Public Safety Dispatch (MatCom) received calls reporting two brush fires spreading in the median of the Glenn Highway on Thursday, May 14th. DFFP and Central Mat-Su Fire Department were dispatched to the 33 Glenn Highway Fire (057) where three fires were burning in grass being spread by winds. Two were in the median and one along the south bound lane. Firefighters extinguished the fires totaling 0.1-acres declaring them out.
The Killey River Fire (060) was reported Friday, May 15th, by a pilot and boat operator on the bank of the Killey River about 5-miles southeast of Funny River. DFFP firefighters have been assigned to the 7.7-acre fire in the burned area of the 2014 Funny River Fire. To read more detailed reports go to AKFireInfo.com and search for Killey River Fire.
MatCom was alerted to a vehicle fire off Seldon Road on Saturday, May 16th. DFFP and Central Mat-Su Fire Department were dispatched to the W Thunder Cloud Fire (061) where they discovered an escaped burn barrel that had spread to a boat and snowmachine. The firefighters contained, controlled and declared the 0.1-acre fire out.
MatCom received multiple calls for a 20-by-40 feet brush fire Saturday, May 16th, off East Seldon Road. DFFP responded to the N Terrell Fire (064) where they discovered an escaped debris pile burning in grass and mixed hardwoods. Firefighters extinguished the fire and mopped up the burned area. The 0.1-acre fire was declared out.
MatCom was alerted to a fire spreading toward trees and houses Saturday, May 16th, off South Knik-Goose Bay Road. DFFP responded to the W Sprucewood Fire (065) where they discovered a 50-by-30 feet grass and mixed hardwoods fire spreading from a campfire. Resources contained, controlled and declared the 0.1-acre fire out.
MatCom received a 911 call for a fire spreading to trees and threatening houses in Houston on Saturday, May 16th. DFFP and the Houston Fire Department responded to the Miller Fire (066) where a small fire to burn cardboard had been spread by the wind igniting nearby grass and was growing rapidly. Responding resources contained and controlled the 0.1-acre fire and placed it in monitor status. DFFP returned on Sunday to grid the burned area looking for heat. Finding none, the fire was called out.
A trash fire spreading to trees was reported to MatCom on Saturday, May 16th off South Knik-Goose Bay Road. DFFP and Central Mat-Su Fire Department responded to the Demar Fire (067) a 0.2-acre fire burning in grass, hardwoods and large dead and downed trees. Responding resources contained and controlled the fire. The DFFP Type 2 Mat-Su Squad was requested for mop-up operations to extinguish areas of heat in the dead and downed heavy fuels. The squad completed their mop-up with a final grid finding no remaining areas of heat and placed the fire in monitor status. DFFP patrols will return to the burned area to ensure it does not rekindle.
An outside fire spreading and threatening homes in the area of Lynne Lake was reported to MatCom on Saturday, May 16th. DFFP Helitack, engines and the Houston Fire Department were dispatched to the Lynne Lake Fire (069). Helitack reported a large slash pile escaping into the adjacent grass but minimal concern for spread. Helitack was released as forestry and Houston firefighters extinguished the fire and placed it into monitor status.
A column of black smoke was reported near the intersection of New Hope and Tanana Loop Extension north of Delta Junction on Saturday, May 16th. DFFP, Delta Junction Fire Department and Rural Deltana Fire Department responded to the New Hope Fire (070) and discovered a garbage pile spreading into the nearby wildlands. The fire was estimated to be 0.5-acres, with a 100% active perimeter under very windy conditions. Firefighters were able to suppress the fire in the surrounding wildland area. Rural Deltana suppressed the garbage pile itself. Forestry personnel completed a grid of the affected wildland, and called the fire contained, controlled and placed in monitor status.
DFFP patrol returned on Sunday to find two visible smokes in the vicinity of the fire. With the help of Rural Deltana’s water tender, resources were able to get sprinklers around the entirety of the burned area and continue mop up efforts. Despite sustained winds, the work was effective with no new smokes visible. DFFP will continue to return to wet down the area due to projected continued winds.
Soldotna Alaska State Troopers reported a fire in the area of Solstice Street. DFFP Helitack responded and reported a 2-by-2 feet warming fire with no escapement and people nearby. While en route to the smoke report, a forestry engine arrived on scene to a nearby location where a 3-by-3 feet smoldering fire burning in slash and grass escaped into the wildlands. The Old Gas Well Fire (072) was extinguished and declared contained, controlled and placed in monitor status. The engine crew continued to the location of the original campfire where the people had departed but did not extinguish their campfire. The fire was extinguished with no escapement.
MatCom received a report of a warming fire that got out of hand in the area of North Sitze Road. Upon arrival to the Sitze Fire (073), DFFP and West Lake Fire Department resources reported a .25-acre fire burning in grass and light hardwoods with 3-5-feet flame lengths. Firefighters worked to knock down the flames as the fire grew to .48-acre. Forestry resources issued a written warning, and compliance actions were taken. Fire was called contained, controlled and placed in monitor status.
Passing motorists notified MatCom of a grass fire burning along the southbound lanes of the Glenn Highway at Mile Post 31. DFFP and Mat-Su Borough fire units responded to find the Glenn Bridge Fire (074), a 0.1-acre smoldering grass fire. The fire was contained, controlled and declared out.
Burn Permits are required state-wide in Alaska from April 1st to August 31st for anything larger than a cooking/warming fire that is three feet in diameter and two feet in height. These permits include a brush pile of organic material not exceeding 10 feet in diameter by 4 feet in height, a burn barrel for burning only untreated wood, leaves, grass clippings, carboard and paper or burning a maintained lawn of less than 1 acre. For more information on the Burn Permit program go to dnr.alaska.gov/burn.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 