As the weather provides a break in wildfire activity, managers of the Hasting’s Fire response north of Fairbanks are taking the opportunity to make sure the 23,000 acre burn doesn’t flare back up when the weather dries out. Incident Commander Tom Kurth says the focus is on mop up.
The Hasting fire is 25 percent contained, and Kurth says it could still pose a risk, given the mid June time frame, and its proximity to populated areas.
Kurth says it makes sense to secure the fire perimeter while the resources are in place. Nearly 800 firefighters and half a million pounds of gear have been deployed in remote country around the Hastings Fire. The cost of suppression so far is $11 million. Kurth says fire mangers have tied lines into old burns, which will help reduce future fire risk north of Fairbanks.
Kurth says the Hastings Fire has taken out a lot of black spruce that natural succession will replace with less flammable brush.
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Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
