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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 244 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with a $10 million inventory. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.
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Yukon Flats wildfires remain very active second day in row
Wildfires in the Yukon Flats exhibited extreme fire behavior Thursday for the second day in a row – prompting smokejumpers to conduct burn operations to protect two Native allotments and a cabin.
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Wildfires show extreme behavior in northeastern Alaska due to dry, warm conditions
While rains have swept through a majority of Alaska, they have largely avoided northeastern Alaska which remains the warmest, driest part of the state. The area hasn’t seen a new fire since July 29, but existing wildfires in the Yukon Flats remain very active while other fires in the rest of the state are largely dormant.
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2022 East Fork Fire highlights importance of proactive firefighting
The 2022 East Fork Fire is the largest fire in recorded history in the Yukon Delta area. Precipitation throughout the year usually prevents large wildfires around the area’s communities, but a recent drought lead to extremely dry surface vegetation that… Read More ›
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BLM rescinds fire closure order to prohibit access to western White Mountains National Recreation Area
Due to reduced wildland fire activity, the BLM Eastern Interior Field Office rescinded the fire closure order that temporarily prohibited public access to the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area
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Temporary prohibition on open fires rescinded by BLM Fairbanks District Office and Glennallen Field Office
On Monday, the BLM Fairbanks District and Glennallen Field Office rescinded the fire prevention orders temporarily prohibited open fires on the BLM-managed public lands in eastern and central Alaska. Only one fire prevention order remains in place for BLM Alaska.
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BLM Glennallen Field Office issues temporary prohibition on open fires and fireworks due to high fire danger
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Glennallen Field Office today issued a fire prevention order temporarily prohibiting open fires (except within fire rings in established campgrounds), fireworks, exploding targets, and explosives on the public lands it manages in east-central Alaska…. Read More ›
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Interior Alaska fires continue to challenge fire managers
Alaska Fire Service’s Tanana Fire Management Zone officers are managing a complex mix of fires and logistical challenges as the fire season continues. The Hutlinana Fire (#327) was discovered and attacked by smokejumpers on June 21. The fire is a… Read More ›
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Alaska Fire Service takes action on two new wildfires
June 19, 2022 8:45 p.m. – Tonight twelve smokejumpers jumped a new fire on the Yukon-Delta National Wildlife Refuge in the Lower Yukon. The Nunavulnuk River Fire (#313) is 20 miles south of Saint Michael on the north side of… Read More ›
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Alaska Fire Service managers expect more lightning-caused fires
Yesterday June 18, the year-to-date number of acres burned by wildfires inAlaska reached 1,005,196. This is the earliest date for reaching a millionacres since this statistic was first tracked in 1990. Widespread thunderstorms and lightning are causing several new… Read More ›
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New hold-over fires pop up in Northeast Alaska
Widespread lightning on June 16 resulted in several new fires today in the Upper Yukon Zone of the Alaska Fire Service. The Schilling Fire (#294) is burning in a limited protection area 38 miles west of Venetie. The fire… Read More ›
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 