Public Safety
RSSAlaska News tracks public safety coverage including law enforcement operations, emergency response, regulatory enforcement.
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 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 2mo ago2 min read
Bystanders protect two toddlers on Kasilof Beach while father lay unconscious in tent
Bystanders on Kasilof Beach called troopers after finding two toddlers unattended while their father lay unconscious in a tent on July 4, testing at more than three times the legal driving limit.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 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 AlaskaNews2mo 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 AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
High water on Gulkana River forces raft party onto trail, triggers medical rescue
High water forced eight rafters off the Gulkana River on July 3, and one developed chest pains during the hike out, requiring a rescue helicopter to extract him to a hospital.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Two fires hold near Ruby as weekend weather turns risky
Two lightning fires east of Ruby are holding — the Big Fire just 10% contained — but if weekend storms miss, heat and 40 mph winds could change that fast.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage man faces 13 felony counts after a gun threat off the Glenn Highway
A man was jailed without bail after a 911 call reported him threatening to kill someone with a gun off the Glenn Highway — and, with no police in Eureka, held far from home.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A NOAA crew cut a tangled humpback free at Endicott Arm
A juvenile humpback got tangled at the mouth of Endicott Arm. A NOAA crew freed it from a small boat with knives on poles — work only 94 people nationwide are cleared to do.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A half-acre fire near Golovin tests a new federal firefighting agency
A half-acre lightning fire near Golovin isn't threatening homes or subsistence allotments, and rain may help. Two smokejumpers went in — an early test of a new federal agency.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Nelson Island residents put out tundra fire before state crews could arrive
Nelson Island residents near Toksook Bay extinguished a lightning-caused tundra fire on June 24 before state crews could arrive, the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection reported.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
Holdover fire near Allakaket draws six smokejumpers as Kenai danger stays high
Six smokejumpers reached a holdover fire near Allakaket on June 29 that had smoldered in duff for days before flaring up, while the Kenai Peninsula faces the state's highest fire danger.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
A stop to grab fallen cargo turns serious on the Seward Highway
A man gathering items that fell from his truck on the Seward Highway was struck by a passing vehicle, seriously injuring both him and the driver near Summit Lake.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Crews on three Interior fires brace for a dangerous holiday weekend
Three western Interior wildfires near Ruby and Allakaket face a dangerous holiday weekend — 30-40 mph winds and critically low humidity that could drive fast spread.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Child hurt-risk in drunken Nikiski ATV rollover, troopers say
Troopers say a Nikiski woman rolled an ATV with a child aboard while driving at more than twice the legal alcohol limit. She faces DUI and child-endangerment charges.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Drones find stranded Craig hiker on Sunnahae Mountain before midnight
Drones found a 23-year-old hiker safe on Sunnahae Mountain near Craig after he stopped texting his family Thursday night.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Interior Alaska's fire season is easing — but watch for the ones still smoldering
Interior Alaska's wildfires are winding down and crews are heading home — but managers are watching for holdovers, lightning strikes that smolder for days before flaring up.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A river dropped just in time to save the cabins near Chicken
The Polly Fire smoldered near Chicken for a week — but the real obstacle was the river. When the Fortymile finally dropped, crews rushed in to wrap the cabins in sprinklers.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
When the Coast Guard searches, Sitka's sky can close
A Coast Guard search shut a patch of low airspace over Sitka for two days — a small disruption elsewhere, but real in a roadbound town that flies for a living.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Juneau man Oscar Griffin found dead after two-day search
Oscar Griffin, a Juneau man missing since Monday, was found dead Thursday by SEADOGS volunteer searchers — the morning after fireworks paused the K-9 search.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A new logjam on the Beaver Creek float wants your boat. Here's how to dodge it.
The 100-mile Beaver Creek float is pure Alaska wilderness — but a new debris-choked channel will grab your boat if you let it. Line or portage past it, BLM says.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska plans to burn the Alphabet Hills to grow more moose forage
Alaska plans to set the Alphabet Hills ablaze this July on purpose. Burning old black spruce regrows the willow and birch that moose, caribou, and hunters rely on.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Passenger injures Trooper during Cooper Landing traffic stop
A passenger kicked an Alaska State Trooper on the Sterling Highway near Cooper Landing on Wednesday evening while resisting placement in a patrol vehicle during a sobriety stop.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Martha Fire near Soldotna contained at 5 acres
Firefighters contained the Martha Fire near Soldotna at 5 acres Wednesday evening, protecting homes within two hours of the first report
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Crash closes New Seward Hwy southbound at Rabbit Creek Rd
Two people died Wednesday morning when three vehicles crashed into Potter Marsh on the Seward Highway south of Anchorage, closing the road for hours.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Bethel rewrites its animal code to fight the diseases that actually threaten its dogs
Bethel's animal code was built for rabies — but parvo and distemper are the bigger dog killers in rural Alaska. A draft ordinance would finally cover them.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Rain stalled the two wildfires near Ruby, but Tuesday's winds are a risk
Sunday's rain stalled both fires near Ruby, holding them at 260 and 1,000 acres, but Tuesday's winds could dry things out again. No outdoor burning, officials warn.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
One dead, one critical in a K-Beach Road rollover near Soldotna
A 62-year-old Iowa man died and a second person was critically hurt when their van rolled on Kalifornsky Beach Road near Soldotna. The cause is under investigation.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
The Starry Fire is 70% contained as crews move into mop-up
The Starry Fire south of Anderson is 70% contained, up from 65%, and crews have moved into mop-up, combing the perimeter for leftover heat. It's holding at 547 acres.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A soldier died guarding Fort Wainwright's gate. The drunk driver who hit him will serve 17 years.
A North Pole woman will serve 17 years for a drunk-driving crash that killed a soldier guarding Fort Wainwright's gate. Her blood alcohol was nearly four times the limit.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A lake-island fire hands Mat-Su crews a boat-only problem
A small fire on a Flat Lake island forced Mat-Su firefighters to boat their crew across to reach it — routine flames, minus the road to get to them.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Kodiak fire department moves to fix a staffing crunch
Kodiak's Fire Protection Area No. 1 is short-handed enough that its board told the chief to build a new position — a people problem, not a money one, as volunteers get harder to find.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Driver critical after fiery solo crash closes Richardson Hwy
A driver is in critical condition after a solo crash and vehicle fire closed the Richardson Highway near milepost 210 for two and a half hours on Sunday morning.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
A Fox homeowner woke to thieves stealing his copper and fuel. Then the shooting started.
A Fox homeowner woke before dawn to burglars stealing copper and fuel, went to investigate, and traded gunfire with them. No one was hit, and the suspects got away.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Anchorage man arrested after walking armed, drunk on Funny River Rd
Alaska State Troopers arrested Anchorage resident Garrett Andrews, 22, after he walked armed and intoxicated down Funny River Road near Soldotna on Friday night, forcing drivers to swerve.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
One Anchorage restaurant keeps getting caught serving with expired cards
Alaska cited six bars and restaurants for servers pouring with expired training cards — one Anchorage spot for the fifth time in four years, now risking its liquor license.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Rain offers Interior Alaska's fire crews a needed break
Rain and cooler air are headed for Interior Alaska this weekend — a real break for fire crews who've spent weeks protecting cabins, fish camps, and allotments.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Jade Fire reaches 40% containment near Ambler; Whakatna Fire controlled
Jade Fire near Ambler is 40% contained with unburned ground between the fire and the community landfill, while 22 smokejumpers freed from two controlled fires are now fighting new ignitions near Ruby.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Smokejumpers battle two wildfires near Ruby as smoke reaches village
Smokejumpers and aircraft are battling two wildfires near Ruby that together cover 660 acres and are currently pushing away from the village and nearby Native allotments.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
