Ten smokejumpers supported by water-scooping aircraft responded Friday night to a new wildfire near Shaktoolik. The Christmas Fire (#350) is about 8 miles east of Shaktoolik, 1.5 miles north of the Shaktoolik River, and 1 mile west of Third Creek.
2026 Alaska Fire Season
Cheenik Fire near Golovin contained
The Cheenik Fire (#349) near Golovin has been contained to 1 acre thanks to the quick work of local residents. Smokejumpers assigned to the fire carefully checked the perimeter and found no heat. They will conduct one more check tonight and another tomorrow morning as a precaution before calling the fire out.
Cecil Fire near Ruby 70% contained; Big Fire still 10% contained
Firefighters have achieved 70% containment on the Cecil Fire (#315), while the Big Fire (#313) continues to hold at 10% contained. For Friday, warmer and drier weather is expected as the possibility of thunderstorms increases. Storms could be slow moving with heavy rain; however, if they miss the fires, temperatures will climb back into the 70s.
Smokejumpers reach 30% containment on Siruk Fire northwest of Allakaket
Two dozen smokejumpers had the Siruk Fire (#340) 30% contained at the end of their shift Thursday night. The fire is estimated at 550 acres and continues to burn in tundra tussocks and scattered spruce trees.
Smokejumpers Catch New Fire Northwest of Allakaket
Twenty-four smokejumpers were deployed to the Siruk Fire (#340) yesterday. It was actively burning in tundra tussocks and scattered spruce trees, with the head of the fire moving to the east. Single and multi-engine scoopers dropped loads of water on… Read More ›
Martha Fire Near Soldotna Active Near Homes
7:30 PM – The Martha Fire is now 5 acres and contained. Thanks to the quick response of local engine and helicopter crews, firefighters have been able to stop forward progress, and the additional aircraft that were ordered have been… Read More ›
Firefighters Increase Containment of Big Fire, Cecil Fire East of Ruby
Firefighters achieved 10% containment on the Big Fire (#313) and 40% containment on the Cecil Fire (#315) on Tuesday. The fires are about 11 miles east of Ruby but are not currently threatening the community or nearby Native allotments.
Drying Conditions May Reveal Additional Holdover Fires
Another holdover fire was detected yesterday resulting from the prolific lightning storms last week. It is in the upper Koyukuk River Basin, approximately 20 miles northwest of Allakaket. Holdover fires are lightning‑caused ignitions that may smolder for days. Fire managers… Read More ›
Type 3 Team Assumes Command of Big, Cecil Fires Near Ruby
A local Type 3 incident management team has assumed command of firefighting efforts for the Big Fire (#313) and the Cecil Fire (#315) near Ruby. The team’s leadership is made up of U.S. Wildland Fire Service personnel from Alaska and personnel from the State of Michigan.
DFFP weekly wildland fire roundup for June 22 – 28
Rain moderated fire behavior this past week across the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP) response area, limiting the number of new fire starts. However, more than 57,000 lightning strikes were recorded over the past 10 days, creating continued potential… Read More ›