Author Archives
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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Alaska Fire Medic program: Taking care of firefighters in the field
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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
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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”… Read More ›
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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… Read More ›
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 