Wildland firefighters face all kinds of hazards during fire season. When firefighters fall ill or get injured, getting them needed medical care is not a matter of simply calling 911. The nearest hospital is often a 300-mile flight away, pushing medical care to another level of urgency in Alaska. Something as simple as a blister […]
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Alaska Fire Medic program: Taking care of firefighters in the field
September 22, 2019 
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Life in a remote Alaska fire camp
September 21, 2019 Comments Off on Life in a remote Alaska fire camp
While fire camps in rural Alaska can be similar to remote fires in the Lower 48, they have their own special concerns and qualities. Morning operational briefings are broadcasted over hand-held radios. Every one gathers underneath at big yellow tarp for breakfast in the morning and dinner before bedtime. The coffee pot hangs from a […]
Continue reading BLM AFS, USARAK to burn debris piles on Interior Alaska training lands
September 20, 2019 Comments Off on BLM AFS, USARAK to burn debris piles on Interior Alaska training lands
The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Alaska (USARAK), will burn piles of woody debris on military training lands in Interior Alaska starting as early as this Saturday. Burning operations for piles on the Fort Wainwright Area Main Post (FWAMP), the Tanana Flats Training Area (TFTA) […]
Continue reading Smokejumpers, Chena Hotshots working on late season fire near the Yukon River Crossing
September 16, 2019 Comments Off on Smokejumpers, Chena Hotshots working on late season fire near the Yukon River Crossing
The Chena Hotshots are mopping up a 7-acre fire that started Friday near the Yukon River crossing on the Dalton Highway about 80 miles north of Fairbanks. Smokejumpers responded to Fire #811, the Smoothface Mountain Fire, after it was reported Friday afternoon from someone at the Yukon River Camp near the river crossing at milepost […]
Continue reading Smokejumpers respond to contain spot fire from Chandalar River Fire near Venetie
September 6, 2019 Comments Off on Smokejumpers respond to contain spot fire from Chandalar River Fire near Venetie
Sept. 6, 2019 Four smokejumpers quickly responded Friday afternoon to contain a small fire that spotted across a control line protecting a Native allotment from the long-burning Chandalar River Fire west of Venetie. Smokejumpers anticipate containing the 30-by-30 foot fire by the end of shift Friday night. It was reported as smoldering in white spruce […]
Continue reading Sign up for Nixle emergency alerts
August 26, 2019 Comments Off on Sign up for Nixle emergency alerts
If you’ve not yet subscribed to receive Nixle texts and emails alerting you to issues of immediate public concern such as evacuations and highway closures, we encourage you to do so. Nixle is utilized by emergency service organizations for communicating information in the event of a natural disaster, and other emergencies. Alaska State Troopers used […]
Continue readingLevelock Fire estimated at 250-300 acres
August 19, 2019 Comments Off on Levelock Fire estimated at 250-300 acres
7 p.m. Levelock Fire Update Smokejumpers, aided by villagers operating bulldozers, are still working to keep a fire from reaching the Bristol Bay area village of Levelock Monday afternoon. Firefighting personnel aboard the plane that delivered the smokejumpers had a rough estimate of the fire size at between 250-300 acres. Smokejumpers reported the dozer line […]
Continue reading Smokejumpers working on fire near Levelock
August 19, 2019 Comments Off on Smokejumpers working on fire near Levelock
Alaska smokejumpers are working on a fire burning west of the Bristol Bay area village of Levelock. Residents reported the fire burning north of the village shortly after midnight Monday. Because all resources were already assigned to fires or were not able to fly due to darkness, a plane carrying the eight smokejumpers launched first […]
Continue reading Dozer line constructed around North Fork Fire northwest of Homer
August 19, 2019 Comments Off on Dozer line constructed around North Fork Fire northwest of Homer
Update at 8 p.m. Firefighters are fortifying a dozer line constructed around the body of North Fork Fire burning northwest of Homer Monday evening and making sure there are no spot fires outside this containment line. The Level 1 “Ready” evacuation notice is still in place for people living along the North Fork Road north […]
Continue reading Firefighters aggressively fighting fire near North Fork Road in Anchor Point
August 18, 2019 Comments Off on Firefighters aggressively fighting fire near North Fork Road in Anchor Point
Update at 10:20 p.m.: The Type 2 Initial Attack Yukon Crew is en route to join the effort to suppress the North Fork Fire. Original Information: Firefighters and aircraft are aggressively working on a fire burning near the North Fork Road in Anchor Point Sunday night. About 20 firefighters from the Alaska Division of Forestry, […]
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