The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection (DOF) is the state agency that fights wildfires and manages Alaska's forests. Part of the Department of Natural Resources, it runs fire crews, issues burn permits, sells timber, and oversees forest health and practices.
Photo: BLM Alaska via Wikimedia Commons · Photo source · Public domain
Alaska
State proposes logging about 950 acres near Fairbanks, including along the Chena River
State forestry officials propose timber sales on about 950 acres in three Fairbanks-area projects, including a Chena River corridor near Chena Hot Springs Road. Only those who comment in writing by Nov. 6 can appeal.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago3 min read
State approves Seward timber sale with a logging road along a recreation trail
Alaska DNR approved a sealed-bid sale of about 829,000 board feet of Sitka spruce near Mile 2 of Nash Road in Seward, with access along a recreation trail.
by Walter AlaskaNews4d ago2 min read
State approves Haines barge landing that its forestry division says could also ship timber
DNR approved a 25-year Lutak Inlet tideland lease for a Glacier Construction barge landing in Haines. The forestry division says it could also handle timber.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago3 min read
State posts logging plan for 365-acre timber sale near Coffman Cove on Prince of Wales
Alaska's Division of Forestry posted a draft Forest Land Use Plan on Oct. 9 for the Northwest Coffman Timber Sale, a roughly 365-acre state sale near Coffman Cove. The listing shows no comment deadline yet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews6d ago1 min read
Palmer forestry base holds memorial for helicopter pilot Greg King
Family, fire crews, and pilots gathered at the state forestry aviation base in Palmer to remember Greg King, a helicopter pilot who died in an accident while working on fires in California.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Kodiak borough weighs $70,919 off-road rescue vehicle for Womens Bay firefighters
Kodiak Island Borough Assembly votes Oct. 1 on a $70,919 Polaris Ranger with a fire and rescue skid for the Womens Bay Fire Department's off-road calls.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
State approves 183-acre Heceta Island clearcut with 300-foot beach buffer
Alaska approved clearcutting about 183 acres on Heceta Island, leaving roughly 300 feet of shoreline timber where its own habitat biologist asked for 1,000 feet. No member of the public commented, and the state limits appeals to those who did.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Wind topples two dozen trees onto Tok's power lines, stalling fire recovery
More than two dozen trees fell on power lines across Tok on Wednesday, knocking out electricity and pausing recovery work from the Mukluk Fire, state fire officials said.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
The roads torn up fighting the Tok fire have been graded back
A road grader began reshaping unpaved roads south of Red Fox Drive near Tok on Sept. 4, restoring crown, ditches and culverts torn up during Mukluk Fire suppression. DFFP says roads will be left in the same or better condition, with no outside verification.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
A small wildfire was reported near Wrangell on Friday night
Alaska 511 listed a new wildfire investigation near Sandy Beach in Southeast Alaska, discovered Friday night at 8:29 p.m. and still recorded at 0.00 acres, with cause and any threat to structures undetermined.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Fifty homes destroyed at Tok in Alaska's lightest burn year since 1995
An Arctic wildfire season recap puts Alaska's 2026 burned area at 36,000 hectares, the least since 1995, while the Mukluk Fire at Tok damaged or destroyed more than 40 homes. State assessments have since confirmed 50 homes destroyed.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min read
Mukluk Fire evacuation order shrinks to properties inside the burn near Tok
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection has reduced the Level 3 GO! order for the Mukluk Fire to properties inside the fire footprint, letting Midnight Sun Zone residents return while 361 personnel mop up. The fire stands at 7,333 acres and 29% containment.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Alaska extends fire season to Sept. 14 in Delta, Tok and Copper River areas
Burn permits stay mandatory two weeks past the normal Aug. 31 cutoff in the Delta, Tok and Copper River protection areas. The order runs Sept. 1 through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14, and permits can still be suspended if conditions turn unsafe.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Cause of Tok's Mukluk Fire stays officially under investigation
The cause of the Mukluk Fire near Tok, which damaged about 20 homes in the Midnight Sun neighborhood, remains under investigation, with early reports pointing to power lines but not yet confirmed.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Tok fire's south end contained, but Midnight Sun stays evacuated about another week
Fire managers told a community meeting in Tok on Sunday that the south end of the Mukluk Fire is contained. The Midnight Sun zone stays under a mandatory GO order for an estimated week because burned standing trees and other hazards still threaten crews and residents.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Tok has no way to warn its residents, and a state coordinator says it cost houses
A state wildfire planning coordinator told a Tok community meeting the town has no system to warn residents of an emergency, and that the gap cost houses.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min read
Mukluk Fire crews shift to southwest flank ahead of Sunday wind change
Fire managers pulled crews off the western flank of the Mukluk Fire near Tok on Saturday and reinforced the southwest edge ahead of northwesterly winds forecast Sunday. Evacuation levels were unchanged.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Tok DMV closed Wednesday as Mukluk Fire evacuation continues
Every executive branch office at 1314 Alaska Highway in Tok, including the Division of Motor Vehicles site, is closed Wednesday under a mandatory evacuation tied to the Mukluk Fire. Telework staff keep working, and 24-hour safety roles stay on duty.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Tok evacuation order still stands after phone alert expired Tuesday
The Mukluk Fire crossed Red Fox Drive in Tok and reached 16% containment, while the wireless alert carrying the evacuation order expired Tuesday unreissued.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
About 20 homes damaged in the Mukluk Fire at Tok, some belonging to the firefighters
The Mukluk Fire near Tok has damaged about 20 homes, including some belonging to firefighters, and grew to 5,533 acres Tuesday. Level 3 evacuations remain in effect.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Level 3 GO evacuations ordered north of the Alaska Highway as the Mukluk Fire spreads near Tok
A fire reported in a Tok backyard shortly before noon Monday grew to about 20 acres in roughly two hours, forcing Level 3 GO evacuations north of the Alaska Highway. State notices describe two different evacuation stretches, and a downed powerline is arcing near the fire.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Tatlanika Fire still listed as 3.5 acres but agency reports put it above 31,000
The Alaska 511 incident card for the Tatlanika Fire, updated Monday, lists 3.5 acres and a status of Fire Investigation, nearly two months after the June 20 discovery east of Clear. State fire managers reported the same fire at 31,421 acres on August 13.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Wildland firefighters find Fairbanks man missing 19 days alive near Old Murphy Dome Road
Rodney Rutherford, 73, missing since July 24, was found alive and in relatively good health on Aug. 12 by smokejumpers working the initial attack on the McCloud Fire west of Old Murphy Dome Road, troopers said. He was taken to a Fairbanks area hospital.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Tatlanika Fire, allowed to burn since June, now fought at 31,421 acres
Nineteen firefighters are cutting 20-foot-wide fuel breaks along the southern and western edges of a Native allotment near the Tatlanika Fire, and helicopter assessments have identified structures near the south end for triage. The fire, reported June 20, has grown to 31,421 acres.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Coal seam fire northeast of Healy grows to 71 acres with no crew assigned
A surface fire on the Louise Creek coal seam 5 miles northeast of Healy has grown from about 1 acre in late June to roughly 71 acres. State forestry lists it as unstaffed and uncontained, because burning coal makes direct attack unsafe.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers contained the McCloud Fire at one acre, and found a lost person during the initial attack
Eight smokejumpers, two helicopters and an engine responded Wednesday afternoon to the half-acre McCloud Fire burning in black spruce 12.5 miles west of Fox, in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. No structures are immediately threatened.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Burn permits suspended in Fairbanks, Delta and Tok areas
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection suspended burn permits Wednesday, Aug. 12, in the Fairbanks, Delta and Tok areas, barring debris piles, lawn burning and burn barrels until conditions improve. Cooking and warming fires remain allowed.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Crews deploy to protect Native allotment near Tatlanika Fire
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection has put 14 firefighters and a medic on the Tatlanika Fire, now estimated at 28,168 acres, to protect a Native allotment sitting about 2.25 miles from the fire's active edge. No evacuations have been issued.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A fuel break cleared years ago helped keep the Grandview Fire out of Sterling
State officials credited a fuel break cleared in 2019-20 with helping stop the Grandview Fire from reaching Sterling, starving the fire of fuel and giving crews a place to work.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Alaska and Canadian crews fight a wildfire across the border
The Little John Fire, estimated at 20 to 30 acres about 3 miles south of the Alcan Highway, is being fought on both sides of the US-Canada border, with mop-up and gridding running through Tuesday. No evacuations or highway impacts.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
A cabin fire spread into a small wildfire north of Fairbanks
A burning cabin near Mile 46.5 of the Chatanika River spread into surrounding wildlands Sunday evening, starting the quarter-acre Shovel Fire. Two smokejumpers worked to contain it and monitor overnight, with additional resources en route.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska is auctioning 18 Fairbanks-area timber sales
The Division of Forestry and Fire Protection will auction 18 Fairbanks-area timber sales by live oral outcry at 10 a.m. Aug. 21 at the Fairbanks DNR Office. Bidders need an Alaska Business License and a deposit of at least 10 percent of the opening bid.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A fire no one is fighting has been fouling Fairbanks' air for weeks
The Tatlanika Fire, burning unfought about 40 miles from Fairbanks under Alaska's "limited response" plan, has pushed smoke into Fairbanks and Nenana for weeks, raising air-quality concerns.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks-area burn permits suspended amid high fire danger
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection suspended all burn permits in the Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt zones Saturday due to high fire danger and NWS-forecasted winds expected through 10 PM. Debris burning and burn barrels are prohibited; small cooking fires remain allowed with extreme caution.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Selawik landfill fire smoke poses distinct health risk beyond wildfire haze
The Oblaron Fire near Selawik is suspected to have escaped the community landfill, and officials warn Wednesday that smoke from burning trash carries toxic pollutants especially dangerous for Elders, children, and people with respiratory conditions.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Tatlanika Fire smoke reaches Fairbanks, 39 miles away
The Tatlanika Fire, burning 39 miles southwest of Fairbanks, has grown to 982 acres and is producing smoke visible from Fairbanks and Nenana as of Wednesday, with no structures threatened but reconnaissance flights ongoing.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Five wildfire investigations span Interior to western Alaska
Alaska 511 logged five wildfire investigations between Tuesday evening and Wednesday, stretching from near McGrath west to the Delta Junction corridor and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline right-of-way. Cause is undetermined at all five locations; updated acreage and containment status are pending from AICC.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Delta burn permits suspended Wednesday as fire conditions worsen
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection suspended all burn permits in the Delta Fire Prevention Area on Wednesday, July 8, citing low humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels. Debris burning and burn barrels are prohibited with no set end date.
by Bill AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Selawik fuel tank farm, solar array threatened by landfill fire
A tundra fire that escaped the Selawik landfill on Monday grew from half an acre to 20 acres in hours, threatening the village's fuel tank farm and solar array. Twelve smokejumpers and aircraft were on scene by 8 p.m. with no immediate threat to human life reported.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Five wildfires burning across Interior and Western Alaska as Siruk reaches 60% containment
At least five named wildfires were burning simultaneously across Interior and Western Alaska as of Monday, with the 619-acre Siruk Fire at 60% containment as crews face forecast temperatures in the 80s and 25% humidity, though calm winds could help limit fire activity despite the dry heat.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read