Nelson Island residents put out tundra fire before state crews could arrive

Residents near Toksook Bay and Tununak extinguished a lightning-caused tundra fire on Nelson Island on June 24 before state forestry crews could reach the site, the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection reported in its weekly roundup published June 29.

The Village Public Safety Officer reported the Tununak Fire to Alaska State Troopers, who then notified the division. By the time forestry crews could respond, local residents had already put out the fire, located about 116 miles southwest of Bethel. The fire stretched a mile long with flames about 7 feet high burning in tundra.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety describes the VPSO program as providing "a first response to many emergencies, including search and rescue, fire protection, and emergency medical assistance in rural communities."

Fire Conditions Across the Region

Rainfall moderated fire behavior statewide during the week of June 22-28, limiting new fire starts, the division reported. Even so, more than 57,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the DFFP response area in the 10 days leading up to June 29, keeping fire managers on alert for holdover fires and new starts as fuels dry.

DFFP flagged southwest Alaska as one of three regions especially susceptible to new fire starts due to limited or no rainfall, alongside the Kenai Peninsula and Copper River Basin, where managers are closely monitoring for lightning-caused activity.