Progress Continues on Containment of Sockeye Fire
Update: Saturday, June 20, 1:00 pm
Cooler temperatures and higher humidity are aiding efforts to contain the Sockeye fire near Willow. The fire is now considered fifteen percent contained. All evacuation orders have been lifted. Only residents will be allowed into these areas.
Evacuation Notices Lifted Near Card Street Fire
Update: Saturday, June 20, 1:15 pm
Governor Bill Walker issued a state disaster declaration on Friday for the damage resulting from the multiple fires burning on the Kenai Peninsula. The Card Street fire is still considered zero percent contained.
Vets, Lawmakers Irate over New VA ‘Choice’ Program
When the scandal erupted last year over long wait lists at the Phoenix VA, Alaska was found to have quite short wait times. The Alaska VA has for years been buying care for veterans outside the VA, from the private sector and the Native health care system. That’s the model Congress chose when it passed the Veterans Choice Act last year, aimed at solving the VA backlog in the Lower 48. But as the new Choice program spreads to Alaska, vets and providers say it’s undoing parts of the Alaska-grown system that have worked well.
Dead Whales Near Kodiak Island Pose Mystery
At least 10 Fin whales are dead, having fallen victim to a mysterious affliction that seems to have killed them all near Kodiak Island. Kate Wynn, marine mammal specialist with the University of Alaska in Kodiak, said all the whales seemed to have met their fate at the same time and place.
Sockeye Evacuees Get Chance to Return to Their Homes Friday
Update: Friday, June 19. 7:00 am.
Managers of the Sockeye Fire near Willow plan to begin letting residents back into the evacuation area Friday. At 10 this morning, the evacuation zone will be reduced to the fire perimeter line, controlled by nine security checkpoints. Homeowners who have lost homes will be let into the fire zone, starting at 11. The evacuation is set to end entirely on Saturday but security checkpoints will remain in place through the weekend. On the Parks Highway, traffic will be controlled between mileposts 71 and 78 until Monday.
Breaking the link between childhood trauma and suicide
Close to 200 people in Juneau joined forces Thursday to break the link between childhood trauma and suicide. They’re taking part in a two day suicide prevention conference. Day one focused on establishing the trauma-suicide link.
Anchorage Protesters Demonstrate Against Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plans
Two protests against Shell's plans for drilling in the Arctic this summer took place Thursday in Alaska. The first was in Juneau during the early afternoon and later in the day a second protest was organized on a street corner in Anchorage.
Small Part of Card Street Fire Under Control
A very small portion of the Card Street Fire on the Kenai Peninsula is under control, and the evacuation notice for a couple neighborhoods has been lifted. The fires continue to move east, into the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and away from residential areas.
Juneau Protesters Rally Against Shell’s Arctic Plans
The crowd of about 40 gathered in the drizzling rain outside Juneau’s federal building this afternoon to protest Royal Dutch Shell’s oil rig, the Polar Pioneer. The vessel left Seattle on Monday after weeks of public outcry.
Six Cruise Ships Release Treated Sewage into Harbors
Did you know some cruise ships are allowed to discharge wastewater while anchored or tied up in port? State officials and industry representatives say it’s safe. But critics fear it’s fouling local harbors.
Card Street Fire Grows to 9,000 Acres; Moves Away from Residential Areas Along River
Update: Thursday, June 18th, 10:45 am.
Now at 9,000 acres, the Card Street fire on the Kenai Peninsula has been pegged as the number one fire priority in the nation. The fire continues pushing south and east, into the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. More than 800 structures in residential areas are still under threat and 11 have been destroyed.
Sockeye Fire Map for Thursday Shows Reduced Acreage
Update: Thursday, June 18th. 11:30 am.
On Thursday, the official estimate of the size of the Sockeye Fire was reduced to 7,066 acres, a reduction of almost 500 acres. According to the Incident Command Post, the new number is due to more accurate mapping, particularly in the area of Willow Creek.
Sockeye Fire Evacuees to Learn Fate of Homes Today
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough government plans to meet individually with residents this afternoon to tell them if their homes are still standing. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. at the Houston Middle School.
Officials Say Sockeye Blaze Likely to Linger
A community meeting at Houston Middle School drew about 275 people of all ages on Wednesday.
New Fires Ignite Near Healy Lake
Lightning ignited two new wildfires east of Delta Junction Tuesday night. Fairbanks-Delta area state fire management officer Ed Sanford says the blazes near the small community of Healy Lake resulted from numerous lightning strikes that hit a swath of Alaska.
2015 Alaskan Wildfire Tally is Below Normal
So far this year, about 78,000 acres have burned in 280 fires in Alaska. That may sound like a lot, but it's actually below normal. That's according to Pete Buist, a public information officer for the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. Buist has worked on fires in Alaska and the rest of the country for 48 seasons.
Wildfire Burns Near Dot Lake
A wildfire caused by lightning in the interior is burning near the Village of Dot Lake. The Tanana Slough Fire has burned about 500 acres on an island in the Tanana River. The island is about three miles north of the small Native community off the Alaska Highway near Tok. Area state forester Jeff Hermans says suppression efforts are aimed at keeping the fire on the island.
Walker Signs Bill Repealing Film Tax Credits
Alaska’s film tax credit program has gone from comatose to dead. Gov. Bill Walker signed a bill ending the subsidies on Monday. The program was created in 2008, and it’s paid out about $50 million in credits to television shows, movies, and documentaries film in the state.
Murkowski Bill Would Impel Izembek Road, Undo EPA Efforts
An appropriations bill authored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski would undo two of the Obama administration’s highest profile environmental efforts, and compel a land exchange to build a road in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, to connect King Cove and Cold Bay.
Industry Chafes at Relief Rig Rule for Arctic Drilling
The safety of drilling in Arctic seas was debated at a congressional hearing this morning. Advocates of development say requiring a relief rig isn't necessary for blowout response.