One new lightning-caused wildfire was reported in the Division of Forestry’s Southwest protection area on Friday. The 55-acre Sunshine Mountains fire is located in a Limited protection area approximately 35 miles northeast of McGrath. The fire was reported by a state forestry aircraft at around 7:30 p.m. Friday. The fire is actually two fires that […]
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Firefighters continue work on Southwest Alaska fires
June 15, 2019 
Comments Off on Firefighters continue work on Southwest Alaska fires
Warm, dry weather pushes Swan Lake Fire to more than 12,500 acres
June 15, 2019 Comments Off on Warm, dry weather pushes Swan Lake Fire to more than 12,500 acres
The Swan Lake Fire in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge grew in size Friday, but firefighters were able to keep it from spreading south and west toward the Sterling Highway. As of Friday night, the fire was estimated at 12,564 acres, an increase of more than 4,000 acres, according to th Alaska Divsion of Forestry. […]
Continue reading State forestry firefighters snuff out small wildfire in North Pole
June 14, 2019 Comments Off on State forestry firefighters snuff out small wildfire in North Pole
Wildland firefighters in Fairbanks acted quickly to contain a small wildfire in the North Pole area on Friday. The Green Fire (#246) was reported at approximately 2:30 p.m. as a 1-acre fire burning in the vicinity of Lakloey Drive and Bradway Road. A helicopter from the Alaska Division of Forestry’s Fairbanks Area office responded with […]
Continue reading Firefighters working to contain wildfires near Nikolai and Bethel
June 14, 2019 Comments Off on Firefighters working to contain wildfires near Nikolai and Bethel
The Alaska Division of Forestry’s McGrath office responded to two new lightning-caused fires in Southwest Alaska on Thursday, one near Nikolai and one near Bethel. The Scow Harry Creek Fire (#243) was reported by a resident in the village of Nikolai at around 5 p.m. The fire was located in a Full protection area. Helitack […]
Continue reading Swan Lake Fire continues to grow; crews working to strengthen indirect lines
June 14, 2019 Comments Off on Swan Lake Fire continues to grow; crews working to strengthen indirect lines
Yesterday, west winds pushed the lightning-caused Swan Lake Fire further east into the Dave Spencer Unit of the Kenai Wilderness, resulting in an increase in acreage of about 1,400 acres. The fire is now mapped at an estimated 8,400 total acres, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry. Crews observed shifting winds throughout the day […]
Continue readingLightning-caused wildfires keeping firefighters busy in Southwest Alaska
June 13, 2019 Comments Off on Lightning-caused wildfires keeping firefighters busy in Southwest Alaska
Lightning strikes ignited five new wildfires in the area around Bethel, McGrath and Dillingham on Wednesday, bringing the total number of current active fires in the Southwest Area to 20, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry’s McGrath office. Firefighters are actively working to suppress three of those fires, two of which are burning in […]
Continue reading Swan Lake Fire doubles in size to almost 7,000 acres
June 13, 2019 Comments Off on Swan Lake Fire doubles in size to almost 7,000 acres
The lightning-caused Swan Lake Fire has roughly doubled in size to an estimated 6,951 acres and continues to burn in a Limited protection area of the Kenai National Wildfire Refuge. The fire has burned west into the 2017 East Fork Fire scar and is currently located 2.7 miles north of the Sterling Highway and 5.5 […]
Continue readingMore lightning produces more wildfires in Southwest Alaska
June 12, 2019 Comments Off on More lightning produces more wildfires in Southwest Alaska
Wildland firefighters are scrambling to respond to multiple lightning-caused fires in Southwest Alaska as a result of thunderstorms the past four days. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, 13 new wildfires were reported in the area around McGrath and Dillingham – five on Tuesday and eight on Wednesday – bringing the total number of current active […]
Continue reading Fairbanks state forestry monitoring small wildfire near Mile 62 of Steese Highway
June 12, 2019 Comments Off on Fairbanks state forestry monitoring small wildfire near Mile 62 of Steese Highway
The Alaska Division of Forestry’s Fairbanks Area office is continuing to monitor a small wildfire burning about 1 ½ miles west of the Steese Highway near milepost 62. Smoke from the 25-acre Cripple Creek Fire (#201) is visible from U.S. Creek and Nome Creek roads and the DOF has received multiple reports of the fire. […]
Continue reading Swan Lake Fire continues to grow with warm, dry conditions
June 12, 2019 Comments Off on Swan Lake Fire continues to grow with warm, dry conditions
The lightning-caused Swan Lake Fire was estimated at 3,665 acres after a reconnaissance flight Tuesday evening, an increase of approximately 1,000 acres from Monday. Most of the new growth was to the northwest and northeast away from the Sterling highway and 5 ½ miles from the community of Sterling. As of late Tuesday, the fire […]
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