The Alaska Division of Forestry continues work on containing and monitoring multiple lightning-caused fires in Southwest Alaska. As of Thursday evening, there were 15 active fires that had burned more than 42,000 acres in the Alaska Division of Forestry’s Southwest… Read More ›
McGrath
Firefighters bounce from one wildfire to another in Southwest Alaska
Firefighters are leap frogging from one fire to another to protect villages, cabins and other structures in Southwest Alaska after more than a dozen new wildfires were started by lightning strikes in the past three days. The Alaska Division of… Read More ›
Southwest Alaska fire update for July 21
There are currently 32 fires actively burning in the McGrath protection area in Southwest Alaska. Despite varied amounts of rain across the area, wildfires continue to grow. Most of these active fires are growing slowly with minimal to moderate fire… Read More ›
Southwest wildfires increase in size due to windy conditions
July 18, 5:45 p.m. – Winds continue to increase the spread of multiple wildfires burning in Southwest Alaska despite cloud cover and cooler temperatures. Alaska Division of Forestry firefighters have been deployed to protect cabins, structures and allotments that are… Read More ›
Southwest wildfires continue to grow due to dry, windy conditions
July 17, 6:30 p.m. – Multiple wildfires in Southwest Alaska continue to grow due to windy conditions and lack of rain. A total of 45 fires are burning in the region after days of lightning storms and hot, dry conditions…. Read More ›
Firefighters deployed to two wildfires in Southwest Alaska
July 16, 7:30 p.m. – Alaska Division of Forestry fire managers on Saturday evaluated the approximately 40 lightning-caused fires burning in Southwest Alaska and deployed firefighters to two fires. A helitack crew from McGrath flew into the area of the… Read More ›
Lightning strikes ignite more than 40 new fires across Interior
Lightning strikes sparked more than three dozen new wildfires across the Interior on Wednesday afternoon and more fires are being reported Thursday as a result of those strikes. The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center in Fairbanks reported almost 7,200 lightning strikes… Read More ›
Last crews pulled off Medfra Fire in southwest Alaska
4 p.m. June 13, 2016 – The last two crews working on a wildfire in a remote part of southwest Alaska were scheduled to be demobilized today. The 9,607-acre Medfra Fire, which started on May 29 as the result of… Read More ›
Rain slows spread of 10,500-acre Medfra Fire in Southwest Alaska
A wildfire burning in remote Southwest Alaska is now estimated at almost 10,500 acres but fire behavior has moderated considerably as a result of rain, cooler temperatures and rising relative humidity. The latest acreage estimate for the Medfra Fire as… Read More ›
Medfra Fire now estimated at 2,000 acres but likely much larger
A wildfire burning in a remote part of Southwest Alaska has grown to at least 2,000 acres and fire managers with the Alaska Division of Forestry are still trying to get a firm handle on the size of the fire…. Read More ›