This is a report on fires in the northern Division of Alaska Forestry & Fire Protection protected areas, generally north of the Alaska Range. This includes the Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Tok DOF prevention areas.

Sunday was the warmest and driest day of the fire season, but as the high pressure system over much of the northern part of the state begins to dissipate, temperatures will ease. In the southern interior, temperatures will be 4 to 8 degrees cooler and relative humidity will increase 5 to 9%. Scattered showers in the southern interior will turn into widely scattered, wet thunderstorms by the evening. This change in weather will weaken fire behavior.

It will continue to be warm and dry in the northern Interior and Yukon Flats, with gusty winds creating critical fire weather conditions. The National Weather Service Alaska has issued a Red Flag Warning, in effect from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, for areas south of the Brooks Range, including Dalton Highway, Beaver, Central, Arctic Village, Fort Yukon and Chalkyitsik, all the way to the Canadian border. A strong Siberian low is expected to move into Alaska later in the week, bringing significant rainfall.

Dense smoke will continue to be present in the central and eastern interior. Visibility may be reduced in some areas, so drivers should exercise caution and keep their headlights on. Do not drive into dense smoke. Pull over to the right, well away from the roadway, and wait for conditions to improve.

Three new fires were reported in DOF protected areas on Sunday.

A DOF detection flight patrolling the area detected a column of smoke from a lightning strike north of the Alaska Highway near MP 1,290.5 in a full response area. DOF engines and helicopters from the Tok area responded to the Fire at Midway Lake (#329) but could not find any evidence of the fire. They reported quite a bit of moisture in the area. This location is being monitored in case the lightning strike reignites under changed conditions.

A Delta Area DOF helicopter spotted a column of smoke while exiting a fire. Cathedral fire in Shaw Creek (#326)is in a full response area northeast of Shaw Creek Dome, 19.25 miles northeast of Big Delta. The fire was estimated at 7 acres and is burning in black spruce and mixed hardwoods. Helitack surveyed the area and reported no danger within 15 to 20 miles of the fire. No action was taken, leaving firefighting resources available for higher priority fires. On Monday afternoon, Delta Helitack will return to the fire and establish a landing zone so crews can access the fire. Water scooping aircraft are also requested for Monday.

Pogo Mine reported a small column of smoke following a lightning strike near their runway. Delta Area DOF Helitack responded to the Fire on the Goodpaster River (#323) and reported a 0.1 acre fire spreading and smoldering in hardwood forests. Helitack unloaded its firefighters and hooked up its fire bucket to begin firefighting operations. Pogo Mine fire personnel assisted DOF firefighters in containing and controlling the fire. It is placed on watch status.

On Sunday, firefighters continued working on three occupied fires in the Fairbanks DOF ​​area.

Last Chance Creek Fire (#305) – 11 miles east of Fox near the Fort Knox Gold Mine in a full-scale operation area. The fire is estimated at 1 acre, with 16 firefighters on duty. No fire spread was observed Sunday. Firefighters have completed hose laying from the pump site to the fire. Since there is no water source nearby, portable tanks have been set up to provide water for cleanup efforts. The bulldozer continues to pull a line right along the edge of the fire. Firefighters will work Monday to complete hose laying around the perimeter to assist with cleanup efforts.

Fire in Totchaket Slough (#297) – 15 miles north of Nenana throughout the area of ​​operations, estimated at 1 acre, with 15 personnel assigned. Firefighters searched the fire Sunday and found no hot spots or visible smoke. On Monday morning, crews searched the fire one last time, found no hot spots and extinguished the fire. Demobilization efforts will begin this afternoon. This will be the last update on this fire unless there are significant changes.

Gold King Creek Fire (#276) – 46 miles south of Fairbanks in a limited area of ​​operations estimated to be 5,500 acres with 34 personnel assigned. Smokejumpers and Yukon crew have completed setting up their pump and hose lines to protect the structures at the Gold King cabin community. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) module has been assigned to the fire to provide reconnaissance and mapping of the fire.

Categories: Active wildfires, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry (DOF)

Tags: DOF Northern Region, Gold King Creek Fire, Goodpaster River Fire, Last Chance Creek Fire, Midway Lake Fire, Shaw Creek Dome Fire, Totchaket Slough Fire