Alaska fire agencies open nine wildfire investigations in four days

Alaska fire agencies opened nine wildfire investigations between June 3 and June 5, spanning the Kenai Peninsula, Mat-Su, Interior, and western Alaska, according to Alaska 511 incident records.

All nine fires are listed at 0.00 acres and carry a Fire Investigation status, a designation agencies use when determining cause and origin. The cluster includes four fires on the Kenai Peninsula (Cohoe, Caughlin, Sandhill, and MM 65.5 Sterling), two in Mat-Su (Mastadon and Thunderbird), two in the Interior (Oklahoma 2 and Clearwater), and one in western Alaska (Hills).

Alaska 511 incident records are inventory entries that track fire location, size, and status. They do not establish cause, structures threatened, evacuations, casualties, or containment percentage.

The investigations opened during a period of heightened fire danger. The National Weather Service Anchorage issued Red Flag Warnings on June 3 and June 4. On June 5, the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection suspended burn permits in the Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt Fire Prevention Area because of dry conditions.

"The risk to Alaska has continued to grow with the change in our climate that has both increased the risk of more severe wildfires as well as extending the length of the seasons," said Ky Holland during Wildfire Awareness Week remarks. "We're seeing fires earlier in the season and extending later in the season."