Active Wildland Fire

An aerial photo of the Salcha River Fire (#169) taken at around 3 p.m. on Thursday. If you look closely you can see the hose lay around the fire in the bottom right corner. Matt Nunnelly/Division of Forestry

Salcha River Fire 20% contained; crews seeking out hot spots inside perimeter

By Alaska Division of Forestry on June 10, 2021

Firefighters have achieved 20 percent containment on the 7-acre Salcha River Fire (#169) and the fire should be fully corralled by Sunday if all goes according to plan, fire managers with the Alaska Division of Forestry reported Thursday night. A… Read More ›

The SalchaRiverFire (#169) remains at an estimated 7 acres and more than 50 firefighters are working to secure containment lines around the fire to ensure it doesn’t threaten multiple cabins along the river a short distance away. The fire is approximately 25 air miles up the Salcha River from the Richardson Highway and is located about a quarter mile south of the river. The fire was originally reported to be about 1 mile north of the river but the location was changed due to more accurate mapping coordinates. The fire is about 1 ½ air miles northeast of the point where Flat Creek flows into the Salcha River. There are multiple cabins on both the south and north sides of the river in that area but they are not considered threatened at this point. Two Type 2 initial attack crews – White Mountain and Tanana Chiefs - were both flown into the fire by helicopter last evening to join eight smokejumpers from the BLM Alaska Fire Service and four Helitack firefighters from Fairbanks Area forestry that were initially deployed on the fire. The fire is believed to be a lightning-caused holdover from lightning in the area in previous days. It was reported just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday by military range control personnel who could see smoke in the area. The initial report sized it up as 3 acres burning in black spruce and mixed hardwoods. The Division of Forestry launched an aggressive aerial assault on the fire that included water drops from two water-scooping aircraft and a helicopter, as well as two retardant drops from an air tanker. Retardant was dropped between the cabins on the south side of the river and the fire to slow any spread toward the cabins and on the south flank of the fire to slow its spread in that direction. Fire managers reported “minimal spread” once aircraft began dropping water and retardant on and around the fire. Fire managers expect it will take crews about four days to fully contain the fire. Supplies are being shuttled into crews by helicopter from a staging area set up in Salcha.

More than 50 firefighters working to contain 7-acre Salcha River Fire

By Alaska Division of Forestry on June 10, 2021

The Salcha River Fire (#169) remains at an estimated 7 acres and more than 50 firefighters are working to secure containment lines around the fire to ensure it doesn’t spread toward multiple cabins along the river a short distance away…. Read More ›

An aerial photo of the Salcha River Fire (#169), located approximately 25 air miles up the Salcha River on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

State forestry attacking small wildfire 25 miles up the Salcha River

By Alaska Division of Forestry on June 9, 2021

UPDATE 9:30 p.m. Here’s an aerial picture of the Salcha River Fire (#169) that was reported just before 2:30 p.m. today. The latest estimate remains at 7 acres and fire spread was greatly diminished following an aggressive aerial assault with… Read More ›

Photo of the Doll Fire (#154) is burning in grass and tundra about 12 miles west of Milepost 83 of the Dalton Highway on June 7, 2021.

Smoke visible from remote fire burning north of Dalton Highway Yukon River crossing

By BLM Alaska Fire Service on June 7, 2021

Dalton Highway motorists driving north of the Yukon River bridge crossing may see smoke from a lightning-caused fire burning 12 miles west of Milepost 83. The Doll Fire (#154) is burning in grass and tundra with nearby patches of snow… Read More ›

Warm, dry weather and lightning produce uptick in wildfire activity in Southcentral Alaska

By Alaska Division of Forestry on June 7, 2021

Warm, dry conditions and lightning resulted in a spike in wildfire activity in Southcentral Alaska over the weekend. There were five new fires reported in the Mat-Su protection area, including three that were attributed to lightning. Prior to those lightning… Read More ›

Two wildfires near villages in Southwest Alaska declared fully contained

By Alaska Division of Forestry on May 29, 2021

Two human-caused wildfires that ignited near villages in rural Southwest Alaska earlier this week are now 100 percent contained and firefighters will spend another day mopping up before demobilizing. The Pilot Point Fire (#104) near the village of Pilot Point… Read More ›

Firefighters almost done mopping up two wildfires near Southwest Alaska villages of Pilot Point and Akiachak

By Alaska Division of Forestry on May 28, 2021

Firefighters are wrapping up work on two human-caused wildfires smoldering in rural Southwest Alaska, one near the village of Pilot Point on the Alaska Peninsula and one near the village of Akiachak on the Kuskokwim River The Pilot Point Fire… Read More ›

An aerial photo of a fish camp with several structures bured by a wildfire

Firefighters gain ground containing two wildfires burning near Southwest Alaska villages

By Alaska Division of Forestry on May 27, 2021

Firefighters are making good progress in containing two human-caused fires burning in Southwest Alaska, one near the village of Pilot Point on the Alaska Peninsula and one near the village of Akiachak on the Kuskokwim River. The Kiktak Island Fire… Read More ›

Firefighters continue work to contain Southwest Alaska wildfires near Pilot Point and Akiachak

By Alaska Division of Forestry on May 26, 2021

Firefighters continue working to stamp out two human-caused wildfires burning in southwest Alaska, one near the coastal village of Pilot Point on the Alaska Peninsula and one near the village of Akiachak along the Kuskokwim River. Twelve smokejumpers from the… Read More ›

Smoke from a wildfire south of the Kuskokwim River and the village of Akiakchak

Smokejumpers deployed to wildfire threatening fish camp, allotments on Kuskokwim River near Akiachak

By Alaska Division of Forestry on May 25, 2021

The Alaska Division of Forestry deployed 12 smokejumpers on an estimated 100-acre wildfire burning near the village of Akiachak in southwest Alaska Tuesday afternoon to protect a fish camp and Native allotments surrounding the fire. The smokejumpers, from the BLM… Read More ›