Officials Have Aggressive Plan to Combat Hastings Wildfire

Officials managing the response to the big wildfire north of Fairbanks have some aggressive action planned.  The management team is trying to stop the 12 thousand acre Hastings Fire from moving any closer to subdivisions on it northeast side. Fire Information Officer Pete Buist says a substantial burn-out may be conducted where the fire jumped containment lines on Sunday.

Buist says firefighters have helped prepare northeast-side subdivisions in the event things don’t go well and the fire advances east.

Crews have already done structure protection and secured a line on the southern part of the Hastings Fire, along the Chatanika River, where there are also homes and cabins. Buist says unless there’s a strong north wind, things are in good shape on that part of the fire. He says there are not many structures to the fire’s northwest.

Download Audio (MP3)

Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.

Previous articleEPA Gives Update on Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment
Next articleOfficials Investigate Marine Mammal Deaths Near Skagway