April 28, 2015 10:21 a.m. A U.S. Navy Admiral is known to have said, “I don’t know what the hell this ‘logistics’ is that Marshall is always talking about, but I want some of it.” That quote probably still holds for the military but you may not know that it also holds for others, including firefighters…especially firefighters in […]
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Wildland fire prevention and preparedness week…
April 11, 2015 
Comments Off on Wildland fire prevention and preparedness week…
April 11, 2015 9:13 a.m. …Starts today! Alaska Governor Bill Walker has signed a proclamation declaring April 11-17 as Alaska Wildland Fire Prevention and Preparedness Week. The Alaska wildland fire season is fast approaching. Yes, I know it’s snowing today: current weather forecasts suggest that the warm weather experienced during the winter months is likely to continue […]
Continue readingBefore fire season, there is training season
April 7, 2015 Comments Off on Before fire season, there is training season
April 7, 2015 11:45 a.m. The majority of Firefighters in the BLM Alaska Fire Service are either career seasonal or temporary workers. After fire season, they pack up and leave for different parts of the world: a word about those travels in a later blog post. They return each year fresh from their time off […]
Continue readingSmokejumper training begins April 6
April 6, 2015 Comments Off on Smokejumper training begins April 6
April 6, 2015 4:48 p.m. Smokejumpers from the BLM Alaska Fire Service will conduct training jumps starting April 6, 2015 and continue most afternoons during the month of April and through May 23 in preparation for the upcoming fire season. The Smokejumpers will be parachuting in three primary areas: • Over Birch Hill • Chena Lakes […]
Continue readingWhat’s the Alaska Fire Service?
April 1, 2015 Comments Off on What’s the Alaska Fire Service?
April 1, 2015 You work for the Alaska Fire Service? What is that? Are you part of the state? My fourth fire season is approaching and I still get questions like the ones above. Here’s the thing. Not only from newcomers to the state do I get these questions, but also from Alaskans who have […]
Continue readingThe AFS North Star Fire Crew is recruiting for 2015
March 10, 2015 Comments Off on The AFS North Star Fire Crew is recruiting for 2015
March 10, 2015 2 p.m. The BLM Alaska Fire Service North Star Fire Crew is recruiting interested individuals for the 2015 fire season which runs from May through August. The North Star Fire Crew is designed to provide an experienced pool of potential recruits for the Alaska Fire Service Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHC); provide entry level […]
Continue readingMore lightning related fire activity in western Alaska
August 13, 2014 Comments Off on More lightning related fire activity in western Alaska
August 13, 2014 11:40 a.m. Lightning activity continues to spark fires in Alaska as six new fires were detected in western Alaska on August 12. All of the fires are located in the Alaska Fire Service Galena Zone that covers the western region of Alaska. Of the six fires, five are in limited management option […]
Continue readingFire activity continues in Alaska
August 12, 2014 Comments Off on Fire activity continues in Alaska
August 12, 2014 12:35 p.m. Fire season in Alaska feels like it’s over. Constant rain and resources sent to Lower 48 may reinforce that notion, but fire season goes on. Human related fire activity presents a constant threat for fire managers as people explore the outdoors and take advantage of the rest of the summer […]
Continue reading2nd jet load of Alaska Type 2 crews to Lower 48
August 11, 2014 Comments Off on 2nd jet load of Alaska Type 2 crews to Lower 48
August 11, 2014 10:47 a.m. A second jet load of five Emergency Firefighter (EFF) crews was requested for fire assignment in northern California with a scheduled departure of August 12. The crews consist of 20 firefighters each for a total of 100 crew members. They will be briefed and outfitted in Redding, California in preparation […]
Continue readingThe Alaska Fire Service is focused on Lower-48
August 7, 2014 Comments Off on The Alaska Fire Service is focused on Lower-48
August 7, 2014 You can call it all but over. The fire season in Alaska was the slowest it has been in a few years. The Alaska Fire Service has dealt with 32 fires for a total of 25,616 acres in its protection area for the entire season. The slow season was due in large […]
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