Wildfires
RSSAlaska wildfire incidents and response: AICC (Alaska Interagency Coordination Center), BLM Alaska Fire Service, state DOF, evacuation orders, smoke advisories, prescribed burns, fire weather, burn-area recovery.
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 readAI
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 readAI
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 readAI
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 readAI
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
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 AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska opens 10 wildfire investigations in 24 hours
Nine wildfires entered investigation status across Alaska between Friday and Saturday, with a tenth discovered days earlier on June 22. Ignitions stretch from the lower Kuskokwim to the central Brooks Range foothills; acreage and containment data are not yet available from DNR or AICC.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Starry Fire hits 70% containment; wetting rain expected Friday night
Starry Fire near Anderson hit 70% containment Friday as rain moves in, dropping evacuation status from GO to READY.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
A small fire near the Taylor Highway, and how Alaska fights it
A lightning-sparked fire is burning just off the Taylor Highway near Chicken — small, but close enough to defend a bridge and cabins while the rest is left to burn.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Two Delta Junction wildfires in monitor status; two near full containment
Over here, you got two fires. Over here you got two fires. That's four fires. What are you gonna do with four fires? Maybe just stick to two fires.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
New fire near Bettles strains crews
Twelve smokejumpers dropped on a new fire near Bettles — one more blaze stretching Interior crews thin as lightning keeps the dry north lighting up.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Anderson's mandatory evacuation is lifted, but the Starry Fire isn't out
Anderson's mandatory evacuation is lifted as the Starry Fire hits 60% containment. It's not out — crews are still mopping up, and the town is told to stay ready.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Jade Fire ignites near Kopshesut origin point, threatens Ambler landfill
You bought one fire was bad? How about two fires!
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Beluga Fire triggers nightly FAA flight restriction near Anchorage
FAA restricted airspace over the Beluga Fire northwest of Anchorage nightly through June 28 to protect firefighting aircraft from the surface to 2,000 feet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska Moves to Keep One of the World's Last Fire Outposts
Alaska wants to keep the McGrath Fire Base — one of the last forward firefighting outposts on Earth, guarding 66 million roadless acres with a crew that's mostly temps.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Starry Fire hits 50% containment as military crews join Alaska firefighters
Starry Fire #234 reached 50% containment Tuesday as military crews from three Alaska bases joined firefighters securing the perimeter, with rain and wind expected to help cool the interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Robots are fighting Alaska wildfires near Nenana right now — on their own
Near Nenana, robots are autonomously fighting fire for an $11M prize — tested on tame controlled burns while the real Interior fire season rages a short flight away.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago2 min readAI
Lightning Lights Up Delta Junction, Then the Rain Comes
Monday's 7,400 lightning strikes ignited at least 11 new fires near Delta Junction, with the Shaw Fire exploding from 550 to 2,483 acres in four hours and the Buffalo Fire burning untouched inside a military impact area where unexploded ordnance blocks ground crews.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Mat-Su landfill fire draws multi-department response near Palmer-Wasilla corridor
TRASH FIRE, TRASH FIRE!!!
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Betula Fire doubles to 35 acres near Central; Colorado hotshots fly in
The Betula Fire doubled overnight by burning through the dead timber its 2025 predecessor left behind — and crews are racing to pin it before this week's lightning makes more.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
A week of lightning sparked dozens of Alaska fires and forced an entire town to flee
Lightning hit Alaska more than 5,400 times in a week, sparking dozens of fires, and one behind an Anderson school forced the whole town to flee.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Smokejumpers were called to a fire near a Kuskokwim homestead — then couldn't jump
A fire near a Kuskokwim homestead hit 50 acres, so Alaska scrambled its smokejumpers — who found the terrain too dangerous to jump. Back to plan B.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Defending Yukon Fish Camps From Fire
Smokejumpers are guarding Yukon River fish camps and Native allotments from a creeping wildfire — right in the middle of the season families count on to fill their freezers.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Starry Fire forces Anderson evacuations; 75 personnel battle 688-acre blaze
The Starry Fire forced Anderson evacuations Saturday and burned 688 acres 80 miles south of Fairbanks; 75 personnel are holding lines to push it toward the river.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Interior's First Big Smoke Event Drifts Toward Fairbanks
The season's first real smoke has arrived in the Interior, and the borough's advice is blunt: if it's hazy and smells like smoke, don't wait for the monitor's permission to head indoors.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Beluga Fire reaches 65 acres in Mat-Su, 25% contained
Beluga Fire west of Susitna has grown to 65 acres and is 25 percent contained as of Saturday, with hot, dry conditions and evening lightning expected to keep fire danger high through the weekend.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Anderson residents ordered to evacuate as Star Fire hits 100 acres
Anderson residents evacuated Saturday as the Star Fire burned 100 acres south of town, with two smaller fires igniting nearby under a Red Flag Warning through Sunday.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska DFFP battles 4 wildfires across Interior, Southcentral, Southwest
Twin Bear Fire near Fairbanks drew 23 firefighters and helitack crews to a lightning-caused blaze in black spruce with cabins nearby. • Joaquin Fire southwest of McGrath and Vanderpool Fire east of McGrath prompted aerial response due to native allotment and private property. • Matanuska Fire on Glenn Highway was contained within two hours at under half an acre. • Red Flag Warning through Sunday evening cited 30 percent humidity and 40 mph wind gusts near thunderstorms across Central Interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Heat and fire risk converge across Interior Alaska for solstice weekend
Interior Alaska's longest weekend brings heat its houses can't handle and lightning that could light the woods. Hydrate, and go check on grandma.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Rain gives Canyon Fire crews window to protect Native allotments
The Canyon Fire near Rampart is at 409 acres. Crews are protecting a cabin 3 miles out — that's a hedge against the fire making a run.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
An escaped campfire grew to 89 acres near Sterling — cutting power and closing a road
An unextinguished campfire near Sterling grew to 89 acres, cut power, and closed Swanson River Road. Put out your campfires.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
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 2mo ago1 min readAI
Red Flag Warnings blanket Mat-Su and Susitna Valley for solstice weekend
National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for Mat-Su and Susitna Valley through early Saturday due to lightning risk, dry fuels, and humidity as low as 25 percent. Burn permits are suspended across Delta, Tok, and Mat-Su areas.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
The Grandview Fire has closed Swanson River Road and burned 30 acres near Sterling
The Grandview Fire is at 30 acres near Sterling. Swanson River Road is closed, the canoe route is offline, no evacuations yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Smokejumpers and the Chena Hotshots are protecting Native allotments from the Canyon Fire
Alaska's natural fire policy gets interrupted when a Native allotment is in the way. Canyon Fire is what that looks like.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Second Fire in Two Weeks Ignites Near Ambler on Kobuk River
A new lightning-caused fire ignited Sunday across the Kobuk River from Ambler, the second blaze near the Northwest Arctic village in less than two weeks, while the 1,447-acre Kopshesut Fire remains only 70% contained with 42 firefighters still on scene.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI