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 medical care to another level of urgency in Alaska. Something as simple as a blister […]
Continue reading
Archive | Alaska Fire Service RSS feed for this section
Alaska Fire Medic program: Taking care of firefighters in the field
September 22, 2019 
Comments Off on Alaska Fire Medic program: Taking care of firefighters in the field
BLM AFS, USARAK to burn debris piles on Interior Alaska training lands
September 20, 2019 Comments Off on 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 piles on the Fort Wainwright Area Main Post (FWAMP), the Tanana Flats Training Area (TFTA) […]
Continue readingPsychological First Aid
September 5, 2019 Comments Off on Psychological First Aid
September 5, 2019 3:00 p.m. swanlakefire We want to give a big shout out to the folks from National Crisis Response Canines on the Kenai Peninsula for getting up really early to visit our fire camp near Sterling yesterday. And to make sure their four-footed-furry friends did not go home without enough belly rubs, they […]
Continue reading Upper Yukon Flats Busy Fire Season Moderates – FINAL FIRE UPDATE August 13, 2019
August 13, 2019 Comments Off on Upper Yukon Flats Busy Fire Season Moderates – FINAL FIRE UPDATE August 13, 2019
In mid-July storms passed through the Yukon Flats with thousands of lightning strikes. Drought conditions left the trees and duff layer very dry allowing fires to grow and difficult to contain. The rest of Alaska was also experiencing an extreme fire season and resources were limited. The BLM Alaska Fire Service (AFS) requested the assistance […]
Continue reading Behind the Scenes in Galena – Alaska Fire Service
August 8, 2019 Comments Off on Behind the Scenes in Galena – Alaska Fire Service
Known for its rugged independence, the BLM Alaska Fire Service Galena Fire Management Zone supports all BLM AFS efforts across 93 million acres in western Alaska – an area roughly the size of Montana. Located 400 river miles and 271 air miles from Fairbanks, the zone operates primarily on boat and air transportation for both […]
Continue reading CORNUCOPIA COMPLEX -Update for August 1, 2019
August 1, 2019 Comments Off on CORNUCOPIA COMPLEX -Update for August 1, 2019
Backhaul has begun in earnest on the Cornucopia Complex. Firefighters are working to pack up equipment like hose, fittings, sprinklers and pumps, as well as miscellaneous items like trash and food boxes, and get it all sent back to Fairbanks before predicted, rainy weather. Once returned, equipment is cleaned and refurbished for the next fire. […]
Continue reading Firefighters continue to hold and improve lines on Conucopia Complex fires
July 31, 2019 Comments Off on Firefighters continue to hold and improve lines on Conucopia Complex fires
Beaver, Alaska – Firefighters continued the same work on Tuesday as they have for the last few days – holding and improving line already built and watching for opportunities to conduct burnout operations on Conucopia Complex fires. Burnouts remove fuel like timber and brush ahead of the fire to reduce the likelihood it will advance […]
Continue reading Weather to test work completed on Cornucopia Complex
July 30, 2019 Comments Off on Weather to test work completed on Cornucopia Complex
Beaver, Alaska – Weather will test firelines today put in by crews on the Cornucopia Complex as the sun cures vegetation, the humidity drops to 35% and gusty winds to 20 mph blow from the west. A wind from the west is predicted to push the east end of the Hadweenzic fire to the east […]
Continue reading Fire kicks up smoke in Tanana Zone; public meeting scheduled in Rampart for Thursday
July 30, 2019 Comments Off on Fire kicks up smoke in Tanana Zone; public meeting scheduled in Rampart for Thursday
Fire activity picked up on the Little Mud River Fire (#316) Monday, creating a large smoke column that sent blowing ash as far as Manley, 10 miles away. The fire is not staffed at this time, however, smokejumpers at a nearby fire are going to assess the protection needs of a cabin 4 miles from […]
Continue reading Smoke Outlook 7/30-7/31: Warming trend brings more smoke to Interior
July 30, 2019 Comments Off on Smoke Outlook 7/30-7/31: Warming trend brings more smoke to Interior
Fire activity may increase today in Tanana Valley, driven by several days of warmer, drier weather. Many areas of the state continue to experience drought conditions. Upper Yukon Valley fires remain active, with no wetting rain received in Fort Yukon or Chalkyitzik. Fairbanks and Denali National Park are expected to have good to moderate smoke […]
Continue reading
