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
Six wildfire investigations open across Alaska over Fourth of July weekend
Alaska 511 records show six wildfire investigations opened between July 3 and July 5, spanning the Fourth of July holiday weekend and stretching from Western Alaska to Southcentral and the Interior, with cause undetermined at all locations.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Cecil Fire fully contained near Ruby; Big Fire at 70% with storms approaching
The Cecil Fire east of Ruby reached 100% containment Monday after a drone flight confirmed no remaining heat, while the Big Fire stands at 70% contained with 61 personnel still working and thunderstorms forecast to push gusts up to 40 mph over the fire area.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Bean Fire burns 80 acres near Native allotments west of Manley Hot Springs
Smokejumpers and seven water-scooping aircraft responded Sunday to the 80-acre Bean Fire near Patterson Creek, about five miles north of Native allotments and cabins that officials say are not immediately threatened but are being monitored.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Nelson Island residents put out tundra fire before state crews could arrive
Local residents near Toksook Bay and Tununak extinguished a lightning-caused tundra fire a mile long with 7-foot flame lengths on June 24 before the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection could reach the remote Nelson Island location, 116 miles southwest of Bethel.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Martha Fire near Soldotna contained at 5 acres
Engine and helicopter crews contained the Martha Fire at 5 acres Wednesday evening after it ignited near residential streets in Soldotna, canceling airtankers and avoiding evacuations. Mop-up continues and the public is asked to avoid the area.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Rain stalled the two wildfires near Ruby, but Tuesday's winds are a risk
Rain halted the Big and Cecil fires near Ruby, holding them at 260 and 1,000 acres, but forecast Tuesday winds could raise the risk again as crews build containment lines.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A lake-island fire hands Mat-Su crews a boat-only problem
Alaska firefighters were ferried by boat to reach a small fire on an island in Flat Lake, where nearby structures prompted an immediate response despite no road access.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Smokejumpers battle two wildfires near Ruby as smoke reaches village
Nearly two dozen smokejumpers and water-scooping aircraft launched full-suppression operations Friday against two fires totaling roughly 660 acres about 11 miles east of Ruby, with smoke visible from the Yukon River village and additional crews ordered for Saturday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Starry Fire hits 70% containment; wetting rain expected Friday night
The 547-acre Starry Fire near Anderson reached 70% containment Friday as crews mopped up a slop-over near Crescent Road and wetting rain moved into the forecast for Friday evening and Saturday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Two Delta Junction wildfires in monitor status; two near full containment
Two fires near Pogo Mine Road totaling nearly 1,850 acres sit in monitor status with no active suppression as of June 26, while crews push the Granite Fire to 90% containment and the Rapeseed Fire reaches 100%.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Anderson's mandatory evacuation is lifted, but the Starry Fire isn't out
The Starry Fire reached 60% containment Thursday and Anderson's evacuation status dropped from 'Go' to 'Ready' — six days after the 547-acre fire ignited near the community and prompted a mandatory evacuation order.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Beluga Fire triggers nightly FAA flight restriction near Anchorage
The FAA issued a temporary flight restriction over the Beluga Fire area, 44 nautical miles northwest of Anchorage, running nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. through Sunday, June 28, to protect firefighting aircraft operations.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alaska Moves to Keep One of the World's Last Fire Outposts
Alaska is seeking a five-year lease extension for the McGrath Fire Base, a roadless, air-only outpost that protects 66.6 million acres of Southwest Alaska from wildfire.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Starry Fire hits 50% containment as military crews join Alaska firefighters
The Starry Fire reached 50% containment Tuesday as about two dozen active-duty Airmen from Eielson Air Force Base, Clear Space Force Station, and JBER worked alongside state hotshot crews. Crews secured a 5-foot buffer inside the fire's edge and found no heat 150 feet outside the perimeter.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A week of lightning sparked dozens of Alaska fires and forced an entire town to flee
Relentless lightning sparked dozens of wildfires across Alaska in a week that forced the town of Anderson to evacuate as the Starry Fire hit 688 acres.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers were called to a fire near a Kuskokwim homestead — then couldn't jump
A wildfire near the Kuskokwim River grew fivefold to 50 acres on Sunday after smokejumpers assessed the terrain and determined conditions were unsuitable for deployment, leaving an occupied homestead and a downriver structure without a clear suppression plan.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Starry Fire forces Anderson evacuations; 75 personnel battle 688-acre blaze
Evacuation orders for Anderson remained in effect Sunday morning as 75 personnel fought the 688-acre Starry Fire, which originated at the Anderson Shooting Range Saturday and threatens the community and nearby Clear Space Force Station.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Anderson residents ordered to evacuate as Star Fire hits 100 acres
Denali Borough ordered all Anderson residents to evacuate Saturday as the Star Fire grew to 100 acres, with seven aircraft and two ground crews fighting the blaze and two additional fires burning north of town.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Alaska DFFP battles 4 wildfires across Interior, Southcentral, Southwest
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection responded to four named wildfires reported over the weekend of June 20–21, from the Interior to Southwest Alaska, with cabins threatened near Fairbanks and a native allotment driving escalated aerial response outside McGrath.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago2 min read
Five wildfires under investigation overnight in southcentral Alaska
Five new wildfires were logged in the Alaska 511 system between 11:25 p.m. Friday and 2:27 a.m. Saturday across southcentral Alaska, all under investigation, as a Red Flag Warning takes effect Saturday morning for much of Interior Alaska.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
An escaped campfire grew to 89 acres near Sterling — cutting power and closing a road
The Grandview Fire near Sterling grew to 89 acres after an escaped campfire, closing Swanson River Road and prompting Homer Electric to cut power briefly
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
The Grandview Fire has closed Swanson River Road and burned 30 acres near Sterling
The Grandview Fire has burned 30 acres of black spruce and mixed hardwoods near Sterling, closing Swanson River Road and the Kenai Refuge backcountry access
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Tok suspends burn permits ahead of Chickenstock festival
Fire managers suspended burn permits in the Tok Fire Prevention Area on Wednesday, citing hot, dry weather and the influx of visitors expected for the Chickenstock music event in the Fortymile Country.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Yenlo Fire crews defend cabin, equipment as 53-acre blaze nears Skwentna
Firefighters successfully protected a cabin, shipping container, and heavy equipment from the 53-acre Yenlo Fire north of Skwentna, with crews achieving 90% containment by Wednesday aided by light rain.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers, hotshots battle 52-acre Yenlo Fire near Talkeetna
A remote wildfire north of Skwentna quintupled overnight to 52 acres, drawing elite crews and aerial resources to protect cabins in the upper Susitna corridor before peak fire season.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Human ignitions cause 95 percent of Alaska's early fires
Of 124 wildland fires recorded across Alaska so far this season, 118 were human-caused. The pattern puts rural communities and firefighting resources under sustained pressure from escaped debris piles, abandoned campfires, and vehicle fires.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Mastadon Fire reaches full containment after drone-guided mop-up
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection declared the Mastadon Fire 100% contained on June 5 after infrared drone flights identified remaining heat sources, demonstrating how the state is using aerial technology to accelerate containment and crew release during an active fire season.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Fire burns within mile of Ambler as crews race to protect village
The Kopshesut Fire has burned 500 acres within a mile of Ambler, with 24 smokejumpers working the eastern edge to keep flames from reaching the Northwest Alaska community. Two additional crews are being shuttled from Fairbanks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk
The state suspended burn permits across all major fire-prevention areas between June 1 and June 5. The rapid escalation follows early-season heat and a spike in human-caused fires, including escaped burn barrels and debris piles in Mat-Su and Kenai.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Talkeetna wildfire contained after overnight crew work
Fire crews worked through the night to contain an 18-acre wildfire southeast of Talkeetna. No structures were threatened.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Miller's Reach fire lessons shape Alaska wildfire response 30 years on
Thirty years after the Miller's Reach Fire destroyed 344 structures in 1996, Alaska fire officials say the disaster drove statewide changes in evacuation planning, interagency training, and community firewise programs that remain central to wildfire preparedness today.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open nine wildfire investigations in four days
Nine wildfire investigations opened across Alaska between June 3 and June 5, spanning the Kenai Peninsula to the Interior. The cluster coincided with Red Flag Warnings and a burn-permit suspension in the Fairbanks and Railbelt areas.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Alaska proposes timber sales in Haines State Forest habitat areas
A draft plan would reverse a 2002 policy and allow commercial logging in wildlife habitat and recreation zones, provided the sales support habitat or access goals.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Alaska proposes timber harvest in all Haines State Forest areas
The Division of Forestry wants to allow logging in wildlife habitat and recreation areas within the 286,000-acre Haines State Forest, not just lands currently designated for timber production. The change would enable carbon offset projects that require harvest opportunity.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Haines State Forest draft opens timber harvest in habitat areas
The Alaska Division of Forestry released a draft management plan Wednesday that would allow commercial timber harvest in Haines State Forest wildlife habitat and public recreation areas for the first time since 2002. Harvests would face size limits and require coordination with Fish and Game.
by Alaska News4mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, Delta
Four burn-permit suspensions rolled out across Alaska between June 1 and June 4, driven by hot, dry, windy conditions and increased fire activity. The rapid escalation signals an unusually aggressive early-June fire season.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Red Flag Warning covers Southwest Alaska through Wednesday
National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for multiple Southwest Alaska regions through June 3. The rare multi-region alert affects rural communities from the Kuskokwim Valley to Bristol Bay, where warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds create critical fire conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su, Kenai burn permits suspended as fire activity surges
Burn permits are suspended across Mat-Su and Kenai-Kodiak Fire Prevention Areas starting June 1 due to hot, dry, windy conditions and a spike in human-caused fires. Debris burning, lawn burning, and burn barrels are prohibited until conditions improve.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Delta Fire Prevention Area burn permits suspended for third time since late April
Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection suspends burn permits in Delta Fire Prevention Area due to fire-weather conditions
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Alaska, Forest Service sign 20-year shared stewardship timber deal
The Alaska Division of Forestry signed a 20-year shared stewardship agreement with the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday, allowing the state to co-manage federal forest lands and increase timber supply through cross-boundary efficiencies.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read