Alaska sees near-record fire activity this summer

Alaska fire activity this year has recorded more than 530 wildfires, and historically, the worst of the fire season lays ahead.

For the first time since 2015, the fire season has hit a total of 3 million acres. It also reached this milestone in 2005, 2004, 1990, 1969, and 1957 since 1950 when accurate counting of acres began.

While the recent rains have helped, forecasts are showing a pattern similar to 2004, which was Alaska’s worst fire year, when 6.5 million in acres burned.

An update on Clear Fire indicate that recent rains have significantly dampened fire activity on the fire, allowing fire crews to reach 73% completion of suppression goals. As of Monday, the fire has burned 72,185 acres and has a response team of 403 personnel.

Warm, dry, and gusty winds passed over the Clear Fire area on Sunday, resulting in some active fire behavior inside the perimeter; however, all fire lines held, and no fire growth occurred. Ongoing helicopter bucket drops kept the fire in check inside the southern perimeter.

As temperatures warmed and winds picked up, forecasts of less than an inch of wetting rain over the fire area.

Fire line construction along the southern perimeter is nearly finished as 3 hot shot crews continued working Monday, and a crew will return over the next several days to complete this mission.

Firefighters continued patrolling and mopping up hot spots along the fire’s eastern perimeter. As work is completed, fire equipment is backhauled off the line in preparation for transition of the incident to a Type 3 organization in the next week.

Helicopters are available to support the work with water bucket drops if needed, while aerial patrols of the western perimeter of the fire continue

Some good news is that fire suppression repair work is proceeding ahead of schedule and will continue across the fire area for the next several days.

A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the fire area, meaning that all non-mission aircraft and drones must continue to avoid the area outlined for the safety of aircraft supporting the Clear Fire and firefighters on the ground.

Among the wildfires already this year was the largest ever in a largely fireproof southwest region of the state. Meanwhile, a pair of fires swept through forests and produced smoke that blew all the way to the Bering Sea community of Nome, making the normally pristine air unhealthy.

For continued fire information and updates, call Alaska Fire Information, (907) 356-5511; or visits akfireinfo.com, and on Facebook: AK.Forestry or BLMAFS