A change in the weather has moderated the Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire (#067) and nearby Sanderson Creek Coal Seam Fire (#084), both northeast of Healy. Popovich Creek remains at an estimated 3,954 acres with 50% containment and Sanderson Creek… Read More ›
Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry (DOF)
New fire starts near Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire
Strong winds Tuesday tested control lines firefighters have constructed on the Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire (#067), but none were compromised. The winds kept helicopters grounded, preventing them from delivering supplies to firefighters or assisting extinguishing hotspots with bucket drops. The… Read More ›
Crews preparing to be released from Tetlin Hills Fire
Tuesday morning firefighters reported they had completed their line around the Tetlin Hills Fire (#069) on Monday. Their plan is to spend the day conducting gridded searches around the fire’s perimeter looking for any remaining hotspots and extinguishing them. The… Read More ›
Burn-out operations securing Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire
Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection Pioneer Peak Hotshots and BLM Alaska Fire Service Chena Hotshots conducted a successful burn-out operation Monday along nearly five miles of the western flank of the Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire (#067). This… Read More ›
Tetlin Hills Fire south of Alaska Highway continues to smolder in old burn area
The Tetlin Hills Fire (#069), human caused, is smoldering in thick dead and down grass, dwarf birch and aspen in an old, burned area about 9-miles southeast of Tok. The edge of the 185-acre fire is not active but interior… Read More ›
Fire behavior moderates on Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire north of Healy
The Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire (#067) continues to burn in a previously burned area north of Healy, near the Usibelli Coal Mine. The 2,031-acre fire spread from a smoldering coal seam last Thursday. The seam was reported to be… Read More ›
Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire increases acreage
The Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire (#067) has increased to an estimated 2,057 acres. Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) firefighters from Fairbanks, along with DOF Pioneer Peak Hotshots, worked late into the night Thursday clearing existing firelines… Read More ›
Smoke from Tetlin Hills Fire visible south of Alaska Highway
6:00 PM – BLM Alaska Fire Service Smokejumpers have deployed 12 firefighters to the fire after retardant tankers completed their drops, boxing in the fire. Retardant can only slow a fire’s progress. Firefighters on the ground are required to suppress… Read More ›
Winds bring life to smoldering coal seam fire northeast of Healy
A coal seam fire that has been putting up minimal smoke since last week was carried into surrounding grass, tundra and light spruce by strong winds early Thursday morning. The Popovich Creek Coal Seam Fire (#067) does not pose a… Read More ›
From Training Grounds to Frontline Duty: Empowering Diversity in Alaska’s Wildfire Response
Amidst the bustling activity of Alaska’s Intermediate Wildfire Academy in Chugiak, a diverse cohort of twenty-eight cadets stands ready to tackle the dual challenge of initiating critical fuels reduction projects while bracing for the imminent wildfire season. As the 2024… Read More ›