Hot, dry weather over the northern Interior is keeping wildfire season alive longer than normal. Alaska Fire Service spokesman Sam Harrel said the activity continues at a time when the region usually shifts to rainier conditions.
”It is wetter on the North Slope,” Harrel said. “It’s just not making it south of the Brooks Range.”
There have been rain showers, but Harrel said they haven’t hit all areas, allowing fires burning for weeks to persist, and new lightning caused starts.
”Out West, in the Galena zone, the Tanana zone across the middle part of the Northern Interior around Bettles and then of course over northeast of Ft. Yukon,” Harrel listed. “Those fires are still going.”
There are about 50 wildfires listed as active right now, including a new start in the White Mountains National Recreation Area north of Fairbanks yesterday. The new blaze and most others are in limited management areas and being allowed to burn. Harrel said a few are getting attention from fire fighters, who are focused on protecting cabins and Native land allotments.
”They’re not trying to stop the advances of fires but just protect these areas and let the fires continue on their natural ecological role.”
Harrel said state and federal agencies are retaining enough people and aircraft to work Alaska fires as the season winds down, and demand for resources heightens in the Lower 48. About 170 Alaska firefighters, as well as an air retardant tanker, and two water scooping planes, have been sent south.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
