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Friday, Jul 10
Smokejumpers parachuted into a roadless village to save its solar array
A landfill fire jumped to the tundra and got within 100 yards of Selawik's solar array, so smokejumpers parachuted into the roadless village to save it.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska is about to burn 54,000 acres on purpose, to grow more moose
Alaska plans to deliberately burn 54,000 acres of the Alphabet Hills this month to reset old spruce into the willow and birch moose need — a bet that pays off in 5 to 15 years.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A thrown Tall Boy and a few punches: a 3:30 a.m. fight in Healy
A 3:30 a.m. ride in Healy turned into a fight when, troopers say, one man threw a Tall Boy at another, who punched back. Both now face assault charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Thursday, Jul 9
Three wildfires close to Native allotments near Huslia and Galena as lightning siege continues
Three lightning fires are burning near Native allotments in western Alaska, with smokejumpers responding as part of a 19-fire surge across the state.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Notakok Fire held at 55 acres one mile from Kaltag as smokejumpers begin to stand down
The 55-acre Notakok Fire one mile from Kaltag entered mop-up operations Wednesday as most smokejumpers stood down and a full fire crew took over, with rain and humidity favoring containment.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Yukon Chinook sonar count 34% below average; fall chum added to concern list
Yukon Chinook count at 95,370 by July 6, down 34 percent from average and short of Alaska and Canadian escapement goals. • Fall chum designated a stock of management concern, forcing communities to restrict harvest on two salmon species at once. • Summer chum run tracking above 900,000 fish, offering some relief for subsistence harvesters.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Wednesday, Jul 8
Gavora Mall, two other Fairbanks properties seek grandfather rights at July 16 hearing
Gavora Mall and two other Fairbanks properties will seek grandfather rights on July 16, allowing uses built before current zoning rules to continue without permits.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska National Guard completes 4 rescues over July 4 weekend
Alaska National Guard helicopters rescued four people over the July 4 weekend from remote Interior and Southcentral locations, including two critically ill patients and two stranded hikers.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
More from Interior
Tatlanika Fire smoke reaches Fairbanks, 39 miles away
Smoke from the Tatlanika Fire, burning 982 acres 39 miles southwest of Fairbanks, is now visible in Fairbanks and Nenana, though no structures are threatened in its limited-response zone.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Five wildfire investigations span Interior to western Alaska
Look into the fires
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Free Fairbanks streambank workshop opens July 15 for landowners and anglers
Fairbanks landowners and anglers can register free for a two-day streambank restoration workshop July 15 and 16 that teaches erosion control and fish habitat work.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Tanana River chum salmon sport fishery reopens as run exceeds forecast
Tanana River sport anglers can keep three chum salmon again as of Wednesday after the run exceeded forecasts, but the broader Yukon drainage remains closed due to weak returns.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Delta burn permits suspended Wednesday as fire conditions worsen
Alaska suspended all burn permits in the Delta Fire Prevention Area on Wednesday due to low humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels that could turn any escaped ember into a fast-moving wildfire.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
As Alaska's permafrost thaws, its rivers are running rusty.
Thawing permafrost is leaching iron into Alaska's streams, turning some of them rusty orange and threatening subsistence fish — and a new Army contract will trace where it's coming from.
by Melinda Communities.News4mo ago1 min read
The company behind Fort Knox is prospecting for gold near Delta Junction
The Kinross subsidiary that runs Fort Knox, Alaska's biggest gold mine, wants to drill for a new deposit near Delta Junction, in a salmon-bearing river drainage. It's exploration, not a mine yet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks man killed after trooper opens fire during early-morning pursuit
Alaska State Trooper shot and killed a man in Fairbanks early Monday after a 90-second vehicle pursuit ended on a dead-end street and the driver turned toward the officer. • This is the second officer-involved fatality in Fairbanks in two weeks. • The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation; the Office of Special Prosecutions will independently review findings.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
About Interior
Interior Alaska is the region centered on Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley, spanning the land between the Alaska Range and the Brooks Range. It includes the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, North Pole, Delta Junction, Healy and Nenana, along with villages such as Fort Yukon, Manley Hot Springs and Lake Minchumina.
Its continental climate brings extreme temperature swings and winter storms, and the Parks, Steese, Elliott, Dalton and Tok Cutoff highways cross summits where winter weather makes driving difficult. The region is also seismically active, and earthquakes there are felt across the road system.
Rural villages rely on small utilities, federally subsidized air service and Tanana Chiefs Conference, the regional tribal organization, for services such as water, planning and grant writing. Golden Valley supplies electricity to the region, and federal land managers set trail and subsistence rules for areas such as the White Mountains, the Steese and Gates of the Arctic.
More from Interior
Tuesday, Jul 7
Noel Wien Library brings Kids Literacy Farmers Market back to Weeks Field July 21
Noel Wien Library hosts Kids Literacy Farmers Market on July 21 at Weeks Field, a free event with activities and a children's market returning for its sixth year.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Selawik fuel tank farm, solar array threatened by landfill fire
A tundra fire that escaped Selawik's landfill Monday grew to 20 acres and now threatens the village's fuel tank farm and solar array, its only source of heating fuel and diesel power.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Northern Region roads return to full summer loads Friday
Alaska lifts spring weight limits on most Northern Region roads Friday, July 10, letting commercial haulers return to full legal loads, except Tofty Road into Tanana stays capped at 75 percent.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Interior Native Vote brings candidates to Fairbanks tribal hall July 20
Interior Native Vote hosts a candidate forum July 20 at Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall in Fairbanks, six weeks before the August 18 primary.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
New fire burns 1.5 miles from Native allotment near Kaltag
Wildfire burning in black spruce four miles north of Kaltag is 1.5 miles from a Native allotment, with 12 smokejumpers and aircraft responding.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Five wildfires burning across Interior and Western Alaska as Siruk reaches 60% containment
The Siruk Fire near Allakaket reached 60% containment at 619 acres as crews push against forecast heat and critically dry conditions across five active Interior and Western Alaska fires.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cone Fire in Koyukuk refuge at 50% containment; no threat to Huslia allotments
Eight smokejumpers held the Cone Fire at 50% containment inside Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge as of Saturday, with no threat to Huslia Native allotments 33 miles away.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Monday, Jul 6
Fairbanks staff flag spot-zone risk ahead of Geist Road rezone vote
Fairbanks planning staff recommend denying a rezone of two Geist Road lots from mixed commercial to all General Commercial. • Staff warn the change would remove the only zoning buffer between intensive commercial uses and a residential neighborhood. • A worst-case General Commercial use like a drive-through could generate 1,500 weekday trips versus 25 for the current medical offices. • The Planning Commission votes Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Doyon Utilities seeks rate hikes up to 51% at 3 Alaska military bases; comment deadline July 21
Doyon Utilities is seeking permanent rate increases up to 51 percent for water, power, and heat at Fort Richardson, Fort Greely, and Fort Wainwright, with a public comment deadline of July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Helicopter sinks in Chelatna Lake; bystander pulls both survivors from water
A helicopter sank in Chelatna Lake near Skwentna on Sunday after a boater pulled both occupants from the water; both survived with minor injuries.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Red Flag Warnings cover five western Alaska regions Tuesday as lightning threat may push to North Slope
Red Flag Warnings cover five western Alaska regions Tuesday as dry conditions and lightning threaten new wildfires, with storms possibly reaching the North Slope Wednesday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Yukon River gillnet closures spread as Chinook and chum run far below average
Alaska closed all Yukon River gillnet fishing after Chinook and chum runs fell far below historic averages, with Chinook passage at Pilot Station running 41 percent below the long-term average.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cecil Fire fully contained near Ruby; Big Fire at 70% with storms approaching
Cecil Fire near Ruby is fully contained at 724 acres, while Big Fire at 258 acres is 70% contained with thunderstorms and 40 mph gusts approaching the area.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks-area teen faces DUI and drug charges after Badger Road stop
A 17-year-old Fairbanks-area driver faces DUI and drug charges after a Badger Road speeding stop turned up a breath alcohol reading above the adult threshold and cannabis paraphernalia.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska's quiet June fire season faces July's heat and lightning
Interior Alaska faces rising wildfire risk this weekend as July thunderstorms arrive over fuels that stayed wet through June's quiet fire season.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Bean Fire burns 80 acres near Native allotments west of Manley Hot Springs
The Bean Fire burned 80 acres near Manley Hot Springs on Sunday, placing several Native allotments within five miles as smokejumpers and seven aircraft worked to contain it.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Sunday, Jul 5
Lightning fire near Pleasant Valley draws smokejumpers, aerial fleet
Smokejumpers and aircraft responded Sunday to the Anaconda Fire near Mile 23 of Chena Hot Springs Road east of Fairbanks, which grew to one acre but posed no immediate threat to nearby structures.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Healy woman held without bail after July 4 domestic violence arrest
A 53-year-old Healy woman is held without bail after assaulting a family member on July 4, with alcohol cited as a factor.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Starry Fire forced Anderson evacuations before rain held Alaska's June burn total low
The Starry Fire forced Anderson evacuations in June but rain kept Alaska's burn total to 29,000 acres, the sixth-lowest since 1993, despite 61,000 lightning strikes igniting over 100 wildfires.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Fairbanks resident flags Alaska guardian shortage; commission meets July 9
A Fairbanks resident told the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission that Alaska lacks enough legal guardians for seniors, and the commission meets July 9 to discuss other senior issues.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
HB 381 exempts Alaska LNG project property from municipal taxes, replaces with volumetric splits
HB 381 replaces municipal property taxes on the Alaska LNG project with a new volumetric tax. • Phase 1 revenue splits favor pipeline communities while Phase 2 directs 48 percent to the Kenai Peninsula Borough. • The state expects the project to generate 26 billion dollars over 30 years. • Tax changes expire if construction misses a December 31 2034 deadline.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Fire contained one mile from Trans-Alaska Pipeline near Livengood
A half-acre wildfire near Livengood stopped Saturday before reaching the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, one mile away, after smokejumpers and aircraft responded the same day.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Siruk Fire reaches 50% containment near Allakaket allotments
The Siruk Fire near Allakaket reached 50% containment Saturday after burning 550 acres, with two Native allotments still at risk if thunderstorm winds breach control lines.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Yukon River District 4 opens for summer chum; Chinook closures hold
Yukon River District 4 opens summer chum harvest July 2 through late July, but all Chinook must be released alive under a rebuilding agreement that closes Chinook fisheries through 2030.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
