Because the BLM Alaska Fire Service remains focused on the safety and well-being of our employees and the public, preparedness regarding medical, physical and training requirements for Alaska federal (BLM) Emergency Firefighters (EFF) were adjusted for the 2020 fire year due to the threat of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) . The adjustments were made to […]
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Federal Alaska Emergency Firefighter requirements adjusted for 2020 season
March 26, 2020 
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BLM AFS, USARAK burn woody debris piles from fuel break on military lands near Delta Junction
February 6, 2020 Comments Off on BLM AFS, USARAK burn woody debris piles from fuel break on military lands near Delta Junction
Update on Feb. 21, 2020: BLM Alaska Fire Service personnel completed burning woody debris piles in the Donnelly Training Area West (DTAW) between Feb. 9-12. They were able to burn the remaining 54 large, machine-built piles on the far west section of the 21-mile fuel break created during a multi-year hazardous fuels reduction project on […]
Continue reading BLM AFS seeks contracts for Alaska village-based Type 2 wildland firefighting crews
December 26, 2019 Comments Off on BLM AFS seeks contracts for Alaska village-based Type 2 wildland firefighting crews
The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS) is soliciting contracts for Type 2 wildland firefighting hand crews based in rural Alaska villages for the 2020 fire season. Multiple contractors may be selected to base crews in communities in the Upper Yukon, Tanana and Galena Fire Management Zones for quick response to fires […]
Continue reading BLM AFS 2019 Emergency Firefighter review
December 17, 2019 Comments Off on BLM AFS 2019 Emergency Firefighter review
The BLM Alaska Fire Service uses Type 2 Emergency Firefighters (EFF)/Administratively Determined (AD) fire crews and single resource personnel to supplement its regular workforce in the event of wildfire emergencies. The program, which is separate from the State of Alaska’s EFF program, consists of over 500 individual federal AD firefighting personnel across three fire management […]
Continue reading From the Last Frontier to the Land Down Under
December 5, 2019 Comments Off on From the Last Frontier to the Land Down Under
Alaskan tapped as liaison during firefighting efforts in Australia After two days of travel from the northern hemisphere to the land down under, BLM Alaska Fire Service Associate Manager Kyle Cowan arrived in Sydney where he’ll be the be a liaison for Americans mobilizing to help with an unprecedented and deadly early fire season in […]
Continue reading 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
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 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 […]
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