(FAIRBANKS, Alaska) – Smokejumpers, aided by water-scooping aircraft, were able to get around a new lightning-caused fire burning 25 miles northeast of Venetie today. The Flooded Lake Fire (#288) was one of two new-lightning caused fires Thursday in the BLM… Read More ›
Alaska Smokejumpers
Lightning Ignites One New Fire in Northeastern Interior
(Fairbanks, Alaska) –Fire behavior was relatively calm in northeastern Alaska but gusty winds overnight stirred some fire behavior. Lightning ignited one new fire burning on the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Three fires are staffed in northeastern Interior Alaska, but… Read More ›
Weather Helps Firefighters on Yukon Flats Fires
(Fairbanks, Alaska) –Weather has cooperated with firefighters in northeastern Alaska, allowing firefighters to make significant progress on fires. Scattered showers, higher relative humidity and light winds reduced fire activity, but conditions remain extremely dry in the Yukon Flats. For the… Read More ›
Firefighters mopping up 5-acre wildfire started by fire that burned down Aniak River Lodge
Firefighters from the Alaska Division of Forestry’s McGrath station and BLM Alaska Fire Service responded to a structure fire that burned down a lodge and multiple cabins on the Aniak River Tuesday night and then spread into the surrounding wildlands…. Read More ›
Smokejumpers, Aircraft Working to Contain New Fires Near St. Michael, Kotlik
(FAIRBANKS, Alaska) – Smokejumpers, aided by aircraft, are working to contain three new lightning-caused fires near St. Michael and Kotlik. These fires were located by BLM Alaska Fire Service personnel using satellite imagery and reconnaissance flights Tuesday. The weather is… Read More ›
Porcupine Fire Grows as Yukon Flats sees more lightning-caused starts
(Fairbanks, Alaska) – Hot and dry weather lingers in the Yukon Flats, keeping it primed for new lightning-induced fires and high fire activity. Lightning sparked 16 new wildfires in the state, six of them in northeastern Alaska. Despite the lightning… Read More ›
Lightning continues to ignite fires in Western Alaska
Lightning continues to sweep across Alaska and is blamed for leaving at least 57 new fires in its wake since Saturday. Most these new fires are in Western Alaska including the 15 new fires Wednesday in the BLM Alaska Fire… Read More ›
Lightning ignites at least 15 fires across Alaska this weekend
Firefighters and aircraft were are busy Sunday working on two lightning-caused fires burning within 25 miles of Unlakleet with more firefighters slated to joint the effort after lightning became a big factor in new fire starts in Alaska this weekend…. Read More ›
AFS Smokejumpers conduct first fire jump of year near Fort Yukon
BLM Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers mobilized Tuesday afternoon for the first time this year for a small fire burning about 13 miles west of Fort Yukon. The eight smokejumpers were able to stop the 1-acre Mink Fire’s movement within a… Read More ›
More firefighters on the way to help with Levelock Fire
More firefighters are on the way to help efforts on the fire burning along the edge of Levelock in the Bristol Bay area. Type 2 emergency firefighter crews from Hooper Bay and Chevak are scheduled to arrive in Levelock today… Read More ›