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Alaska Division of Forestry website: http://forestry.alaska.gov/
Mission:
The Alaska Division of Forestry proudly serves Alaskans through forest management and wildland fire protection.
The Wildland Fire and Aviation Program provides safe, cost-effective and efficient fire protection services and related fire and aviation management activities to protect human life and values on State, private and municipal lands. The wildland fire program cooperates with other wildland fire agencies on a statewide, interagency basis.
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Crews mopping up 5-acre wildfire near Yankovich Road in west Fairbanks
The Yankovich Road Fire was reported by a pilot at 2:30 p.m. Friday and quickly put up a 500-foot smoke column that prompted multiple calls to the Northern Forestry Dispatch Center in Fairbanks. There were numerous homes in the area, one of which was only about 100 yards north of the fire.
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Smaller Type 4 team will take over Munson Creek Fire on Saturday
With warmer weather in the forecast for the next several days, local residents, motorists on Chena Hot Springs Road visitors to Chena Hot Springs and recreationalists in the Chena River State Recreation Area should expect to see visible smoke from the interior of the fire until there is significant rainfall.
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Rain, cooler temps keep Munson Creek Fire quiet; downsizing of resources continues
There were 119 personnel assigned to the fire as of Thursday morning but that number will shrink in the next few days as resources time out or are demobilized. The tentative plan is to downsize from a Type 3 to a Type 4 organization on Saturday. One crew, 6 engines, 1 helicopter and a small number of overhead personnel will remain to monitor the fire from the road and air.
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Evacuation level for Munson Creek Fire reduced from ‘Go’ to ‘Set’ as threat declines
Hard work by firefighters, observed fire behavior the last few days and a moderating weather forecast persuaded fire managers to recommend reducing the evacuation level, Incident Commander Zane Brown with the Alaska Division of Forestry said, adding that he feels “completely comfortable” doing so.
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Munson Creek Fire incident commander Zane Brown explains strategy behind backfiring operation
Incident Commander Zane Brown discusses a burnout operation along Monument Creek during the Munson Creek Fire on July 12, 2021. Ira Hardy/Alaska DNR-Division of Forestry
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Firefighters wait to see how Munson Creek Fire responds to another hot, windy day
Forecasters are calling for another day of hot, dry conditions today with temperatures near 80 degrees and near Red Flag conditions this afternoon. Southwest winds of 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph are forecast over the fire area Tuesday night into Wednesday that could increase fire behavior. A cold front will push over the fire Wednesday, bringing cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity and even a chance of rain.
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Video from helicopter shows retardant drop on Munson Creek Fire
Here’s a cool video showing an air tanker retardant drop on the Munson Creek Fire on Sunday. The air tanker had an old load of retardant that needed to be dumped so they dumped it on a section of the… Read More ›
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Munson Creek Fire near Chena Hot Springs still “chugging along” but no major growth
So far, firefighters have been successful in steering the fire away from the Chena Hot Springs Resort and cabins and homes along Chena Hot Springs Road while allowing it to play its natural role on the landscape.
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Helicopters deliver thousands of gallons of water to cool hot spots on Munson Creek Fire
Yesterday, two helicopters made more than 110 water drops totaling almost 33,000 gallons of water on two parts of the fire, one in the northeast corner east of Chena Hot Springs Resort and one in the northwest corner west of Bearpaw Butte, said Munson Creek Fire helibase manager Tom Kennedy. The ships are busy doing bucket work in those two areas again today, he said.
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Munson Creek Fire near Chena Hot Springs perks up with hotter weather and sunshine
Fire behavior will likely continue to escalate the next few days with temperatures forecast to climb into the upper 70s and relative humidities dropping into the 20 percent range. While the increased fire behavior is cause for a bit of concern for the nearly 200 firefighters working on the fire, it also shows fire managers where the main sources of heat remain on the fire and they can plan accordingly, Brown said.
