Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk

The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection suspended burn permits across all major fire-prevention areas between June 1 and June 5, marking an unusually rapid escalation driven by early-season heat and dry conditions.

Mat-Su and Kenai-Kodiak suspensions took effect June 1, followed by Tok and Delta on June 4, and Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt on June 5. All zones of the Fairbanks Prevention Area are suspended. The statewide picture developed over several days as DFFP added regions in response to worsening conditions. Delta had already faced repeated suspensions earlier this season.

Permit holders statewide in the affected areas cannot burn debris piles, lawns, or use burn barrels. Cooking and warming fires under three feet in diameter remain allowed, but the division urges extreme caution and advises against such fires on windy days or during red flag warnings. DFFP's burn permit website offers an interactive map showing facilities that accept woody debris, grass clippings, and other yard waste as an alternative to burning.

The suspensions will remain in place until conditions change. Permit holders are required to call their area's permit hotline for current status. Hotline numbers include Mat-Su (907) 761-6312, Kenai-Kodiak (907) 260-4269, Tok (907) 883-1413 ext. 2303, Delta (907) 895-5483, and Fairbanks (907) 451-2631.

The division's weekly roundup for May 25–31 reported the majority of new fires were human-caused: escaped debris fires, burn barrels, unattended campfires, and burned areas along highways. The Winkler Fire in Wasilla on May 29 started when a 1-acre fire escaped from a burn barrel. The Eckert Fire in Palmer on May 31 involved a debris pile of non-Class A materials spreading into surrounding mixed hardwoods. The Beaver Creek Fire in Kenai on May 30 was a 40-by-40-foot escaped burn pile spreading in grass and timber.

State law requires burn permits for open burning on state, private, and municipal lands from April 1 through August 31.