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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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Fire behavior remains moderated on Lush and Elephant Fires
The Lush Fire (#199), remains at 26,544 acres and is located on the north side of the Yukon River across from Rampart. Yesterday’s partly sunny skies and no precipitation meant there was a drying day for fuels on the fire. Lingering areas of heat began to smolder and creep and small, light gray columns of smoke were observed. A warming and drying trend will occur into the weekend and atmospheric instability will increase the chance of showers and thunderstorms. After the weekend, southwest flow will be in the forecast bringing widespread light rain.
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Additional help arrives on the Ninetyeight Fire
The Tatanka Hotshot crew arrived yesterday and will join forces with the USFS R10 crew. They will continue mop-up and hazard tree removal along the south and southwest perimeter of the Ninetyeight Fire (#218). The sprinkler system along the south and southwest perimeter of the fire was extended to cover the areas that were worked yesterday. Completion has been increased to 54% despite fire weather in the area slowly drying out since receiving the last trace of rain.
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Tlozhavun Fire 50% contained South of Fort Yukon; Polly Fire structure protection complete
The Tlozhavun Fire (#448) is 50% contained at 21 acres with mop up operations ongoing, while the Polly Fire (#435), last mapped at 650 acres, has reduced fire activity and completed structure protection. Tlozhavun Fire (#448) – Located approximately 10 miles south of Fort… Read More ›
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Drone module aids in mop up operations and crews get reassigned as fire activity declines
There was very minimal fire activity yesterday across the Ptarmigan Complex due to the cloud cover and lower temperatures. Fire continues to creep, back, and smolder in places on the Birch, Turtle, and Buckley Bar Fires.
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Weather conditions cooperate with firefighting efforts on the Roundabout Complex
The Moldy Fire (#279) remains the only active fire within the Roundabout Complex, now totaling 73,085 acres. Rain fell overnight and continues this morning. Firefighters have continued success with point protection measures, such as with Huslia’s microwave communications tower. No changes to evacuation levels and no firefighter injuries or accidents were reported.
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Evacuation status lifted for Elephant Fire (#225)
The Level 1 “Ready” evacuation status due to the Elephant Fire (#225) for Eureka and residences along the Eureka-Rampart Trail has been removed. The affected area includes the Eureka Road beginning at Milepost 130 of the Elliott Highway, extending north to the Eureka-Rampart Trail. It also includes the community of Eureka and stretches north past a cluster of structures near Granite Creek. Fire managers believe the current conditions of the fire no longer warrant the evacuation status.
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Hotspots still producing smoke on Ninetyeight Fire
There are still some areas of smoke that continue to pop up inside the perimeter of the Ninetyeight Fire (#218). Yesterday, the USFS R10 fire crew extended the sprinkler system along the south and southwest perimeter of the fire. Firefighters dropped snags along the fireline to remove hazard trees and monitored the fire area for potential threats as warmer and dryer weather moved in before the next chance of rain over the weekend.
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Full containment reached on Doll Fire eight miles northwest of Stevens Village; structure protection nearly complete on Polly Fire
Three fires are being staffed in the Upper Yukon Zone, including, the Doll Fire (#454), the Tlozhavun Fire (#448), and the Polly Fire (#435). Firefighters will demobilize from the Doll Fire by end of shift today. Doll Fire (#454) – Reported on July 14, mapped at 9 acres and… Read More ›
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Work continues on the Turtle Fire as backhaul operations begin on the Ptarmigan Complex
The weather area forecast for the Ptarmigan Complex continues to call for scattered moisture, cooler temperatures, and potential thunderstorms over the next few days. Fire activity across the complex yesterday was minimal, with creeping and smoldering observed. As more of the fires in the complex transition to monitor status and no heat is detected, backhaul operations are beginning with pumps and hose being removed from fires where the threat is no longer perceived.
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Recent precipitation results in minimal fire behavior on Lush and Elephant Fires
The Lush Fire (#199) is 26,544 acres, a slight reduction in sized due to more accurate mapping. The fire is located in the north side of the Yukon River, across from Rampart. Yesterday, the fire received intermittent patchy rain in the morning, before switching into a light and steady rain all afternoon. There was no notable fire activity yesterday.
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 