Of the 21 active fires burning in BLM Alaska Fire Service protection area that covers most of the northern half of the state, the only three staff are in the Galena Fire Management Zone. As of today, 63 fires have… Read More ›
Active Wildland Fire
Firefighters continue work on Southwest Alaska fires
One new lightning-caused wildfire was reported in the Division of Forestry’s Southwest protection area on Friday. The 55-acre Sunshine Mountains fire is located in a Limited protection area approximately 35 miles northeast of McGrath. The fire was reported by a… Read More ›
Warm, dry weather pushes Swan Lake Fire to more than 12,500 acres
The Swan Lake Fire in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge grew in size Friday, but firefighters were able to keep it from spreading south and west toward the Sterling Highway. As of Friday night, the fire was estimated at 12,564… Read More ›
State forestry firefighters snuff out small wildfire in North Pole
Wildland firefighters in Fairbanks acted quickly to contain a small wildfire in the North Pole area on Friday. The Green Fire (#246) was reported at approximately 2:30 p.m. as a 1-acre fire burning in the vicinity of Lakloey Drive and… Read More ›
Firefighters working to contain wildfires near Nikolai and Bethel
The Alaska Division of Forestry’s McGrath office responded to two new lightning-caused fires in Southwest Alaska on Thursday, one near Nikolai and one near Bethel. The Scow Harry Creek Fire (#243) was reported by a resident in the village of… Read More ›
Swan Lake Fire continues to grow; crews working to strengthen indirect lines
Yesterday, west winds pushed the lightning-caused Swan Lake Fire further east into the Dave Spencer Unit of the Kenai Wilderness, resulting in an increase in acreage of about 1,400 acres. The fire is now mapped at an estimated 8,400 total… Read More ›
Lightning-caused wildfires keeping firefighters busy in Southwest Alaska
Lightning strikes ignited five new wildfires in the area around Bethel, McGrath and Dillingham on Wednesday, bringing the total number of current active fires in the Southwest Area to 20, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry’s McGrath office. Firefighters… Read More ›
Little fire activity visible during Tuesday flight over Oregon Lakes Fire
Personnel flying Oregon Lakes Fire on Tuesday reported minimal fire activity and some smoke coming from unburned interior pockets of vegetation within the fire’s perimeter. The fire burning in the Donnelly Training Area southwest of Delta Junction was placed in… Read More ›
Swan Lake Fire doubles in size to almost 7,000 acres
The lightning-caused Swan Lake Fire has roughly doubled in size to an estimated 6,951 acres and continues to burn in a Limited protection area of the Kenai National Wildfire Refuge. The fire has burned west into the 2017 East Fork… Read More ›
More lightning produces more wildfires in Southwest Alaska
Wildland firefighters are scrambling to respond to multiple lightning-caused fires in Southwest Alaska as a result of thunderstorms the past four days. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, 13 new wildfires were reported in the area around McGrath and Dillingham –… Read More ›