Dry, hot weather and lightning marks first weekend of summer for Mat Su, sparks several fires

The late spring and early summer in the Mat-Su Borough has been marked with an abundance of sunshine and warmth, with temperatures reaching the high 70s and low 80s for many in the borough, a noticeable difference from last summer’s rain and cooler temperatures.

But the stretch of hot, dry weather also lead to a red flag warning being issued over the weekend for the northern Susitna Valley, as well as Burn Permit Suspensions placed on the Mat-Su, Fairbanks, and Tok Prevention Areas as conditions were ripe for fires to spark and spread.

While residents and tourists have enjoyed the weather, the past weekend saw scattered to periodic downpours and thunderstorms, at times producing hail and lightning strikes. The number of wildfires in Alaska has increased as several waves of thunderstorms with high lightning activity has moved across the state.

On Sunday, a small tree fire was ignited by a lightning strike just north of Little Susitna River. According to Houston Fire Department (HFD) Chief Christian Hartley, estimates had the fire at under one-tenth of an acre but due to the remote location, helicopter operations were initiated and the fire under control as the Division of Forestry hand crew is hiking out to the location to ensure that the fire is fully extinguished.

A second lightning strike caused a second fire along the Susitna River west of Willow. The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection (DNR&FP) reports that the Susitna Fire has been actively burning actively in the black spruce west of Willow Creek Parkway.

Soldotna Helitack has responded to shuttle firefighters to the fire, while Suppression Module Denali, a hand crew sponsored by Chugachmiut Tribal Consortium, and crew members of both helicopters will be shuttled to the fire. Mat-Su helicopter also dropped multiple buckets of water through one fuel cycle. They report the fire is now smoldering and creeping and estimated to be 1 acre.

Late Monday evening, the Alaska DOF&FP posted that Suppression Module Denali, a 10-member hand crew sponsored by Chugachmiut Tribal Consortium, spent the night on the Susitna Fire (#235) after their initial attack Sunday evening.

"The 0.77-acre fire was started by lightning along the Susitna River 4 miles west of the Willow Airport. The crew spent Monday cutting a saw line around the fire and by mid-afternoon had the fire 40% contained."

Their plan is to completely encircle the fire with saw line by end of shift Monday and plan to continue working to finish their containment and seek out and extinguish hot spots in the interior of the fire.

There were over 1,000 lightning strikes recorded in Mat-Su Sunday and thunderstorms over the Talkeetna Mountains Monday are producing lightning. The possibility of lightning holdover fires is very likely. A strike may smolder and creep through the dry duff layers until sun and wind bring the fire to life. Alaska DOF&FP will monitor the area for any new fires.

There is no risk to the community from this fire at this time.

Within the Denali National Park and Preserve in the Foraker River drainage, the Foraker Fire was discovered on June 21, 2024, via remote sensing. The fire, which is located on the south side of the Alaska Range, is currently estimated at five acres, burning in black spruce and tundra, and believed to be lightning caused. Park visitors may encounter smoke from wildfires during their visit. Air quality advisories for Denali, issued by Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, will be posted throughout the park

As of 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2024, there were 100 active wildfires, with 19 new starts in the past 24 hours. Statewide, 212 fires have burned an estimated 115,386 acres, with approximately 47,000 acres from the McDonald Fire southeast of Fairbanks. Although lightning activity decreased since the weekend, hot, dry conditions are forecasted to continue through the next several days, which could help to kindle numerous holdovers.

The burn permit suspension remains in place. Residents can call the Mat-Su Burn Permit hotline at (907) 761-6312 and receive a real-time message line to check for the status of burn permits.