Alaska extends fire season to Sept. 14 in Delta, Tok and Copper River areas

Burn permits will stay mandatory two extra weeks — through Sept. 14 — in the Delta, Tok and Copper River areas, past the Aug. 31 date when Alaska's fire season normally ends.

The region hasn't seen prolonged, soaking rain, and the deeper forest fuels — organic soils and duff — are dried out at depth, the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Scattered rain may come, but it takes several days of steady rain to reach those deeper layers, and a stretch of sun and wind can dry surface fuels back to burning conditions within hours.

Burning is already suspended in two of the three areas. Forestry listed the Tok and Valdez/Copper River areas as suspended Thursday and won't issue permits there while that holds; Delta's zones remain open, with permits required. The status is set daily, so a permit alone doesn't clear anyone to burn — holders have to check the current status before lighting anything.

Anyone burning debris piles, brush, burn barrels or agricultural waste on state, private or municipal land in the three areas needs a permit through Sept. 14. Campfires under 3 feet across are exempt. The natural resources commissioner signed the order Aug. 26, and no other part of the state is covered.

The three areas have been under restrictions much of the summer — Forestry suspended permits in the Fairbanks, Tok and Delta areas on Aug. 12, citing critical fire weather. "It's been hot and dry here in Tok for, well, all summer," state fire official Rob Allen said at an Aug. 19 community meeting on the Mukluk Fire.

Permits are free online.