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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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Northeastern Alaska continues to be the hot spot for wildfires
The northeastern and central parts of the state continue to be the hot spot for fires – both literately and figuratively. As of Thursday afternoon, there were six of the 84 active fires staffed. All of these fires fall within… Read More ›
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Northeastern Alaska continues to be active for wildfires
The north and central Interior continues to be the most active for wildfires with four of the five staffed fires in Alaska falling within this part of the state. Clouds and rain are forecasted to roll through the area this… Read More ›
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Fire activity picks up in northeastern Alaska
Fort Yukon and Chalkyitsik have been abuzz with activity as aircraft and firefighters move through the two villages in response to fires burning in the north and central Interior part of the state. Two helicopters and the water-scooping Fire Boss… Read More ›
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BLM AFS smokejumpers working on two Interior fires
BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers are working on a pair of fires that are burning in Interior Alaska including a fire that originated in Canada. Smokejumpers are providing point protection for a Native allotment from the Campbell River Fire (#268)… Read More ›
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BLM AFS firefighters mopping up two Interior Alaska fires
BLM Alaska Fire Service firefighters are mopping up two wildfires burning near the Canadian border. The Tchulkade Lake Fire (#254) was one of only two new starts in Alaska Wednesday. It is burning 22 miles southeast of Chalkyitsik and 65… Read More ›
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BLM AFS smokejumpers working on wildfire near Canadian border
Four BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers are working on a lightning-caused wildfire near the Canadian Border. The Pass Creek Fire (#245) was spotted by BLM AFS personnel from the Upper Yukon Zone on a detection flight Sunday following a few… Read More ›
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Weather helps suppression, hinders demobilization of Norton Sound fires
The same weather that helped firefighters with suppression efforts over the past few days is now keeping them from demobilizing from two fires burning near the western coast of Alaska. A squad of six emergency firefighters from the Grayling village… Read More ›
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BLM AFS smokejumpers, aircraft kept busy by west coast fires
A fire burning outside the Stebbins dump and another burning on the tundra 29 miles to the south kept BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers busy throughout most of Friday night and a good portion of Saturday morning. Instead of settling… Read More ›
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Smokejumpers, water scoopers working fire on Norton Sound coast
A load of eight BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers and three aircraft including two water-scooping Fire Boss airplanes responded Friday night to a wildfire on the south side of Point Romanof about 29 miles south of Stebbins. While looking into… Read More ›
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Cooler, wet weather hits Southwest Alaska
Cooler and wetter weather is giving wildland firefighters in Southwest Alaska a reprieve for the first time since lightning stuck along the southern Yukon River corridor Sunday. That moisture is predicted to continue through the weekend in the southwestern portion… Read More ›