It’s official; fire season has begun

PALMER — The fire forecasters from the National Weather Service are predicting an average to below average fire season for the first two or three months, said Judith Reese, the new Division of Forestry fire chief for the Coastal Region.

As fire season officially began April 1, cooler and wetter weather should help keep the rate down, Reese said. This should allow Forestry more time to spread the word about prevention and prepare their seasonal work force.

According to statistics from the last 10 years, 68 percent of the fires Forestry fought in Alaska were a result of human activities. This accounts for an average of 370 fires each year, said public information officer Matt Weaver.

“Most people think lightning is the main cause of fires in Alaska,” said Weaver. “What they don’t realize is that two out of every three fires are caused by human activities.”

The No. 1 source of human caused fires, said Weaver, is burn barrels. After April 1, burn permits are required for each barrel. Those barrels must have screens over the top and residents have to check with Forestry before each time they light a fire in the barrel.

The cool and wet weather is good news for Forestry, as the spring is the most dangerous time for fires, Weaver said. When the snow melts, he said, and the grass starts showing, vegetation has a very low water content.

“This is a critical time. You have to understand that if a fire does get away, it can do some serious damage because things aren’t green yet,” Weaver said.

“The number of fires in the early season is increasing,” said Reese, “and the earliest fires are inching their way forward.”

Because of that, the state moved the official start of fire season forward from May 1 to April 1 two years ago. As the fires started happening earlier, Forestry needed to call their seasonal staff into the office sooner to begin preparation for the season.

Forestry only employs three full-time fire people in the Palmer office, Weaver said. After April 1, that number swells to 45 area and regional firefighters. The Palmer office gets its helicopter April 16, and the heavy tanker will start rattling local windows on May 1.

As the 45 firefighters go through their refresher training and the pilots practice their fly-bys, two teams of 20 elite fire jumpers touchdown in Palmer. These crews practice coyote tactics, said Weaver, staying on the fire line instead of returning to camp each night.

With the manpower and machines sitting in Palmer waiting for deployment, Reese said the best thing citizens can do is call 911 at the first sign of a fire.

“We’re here to serve and prevent forest fires,” said Weaver. “Call Forestry and check the conditions before you light a match.”