FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Rain and cooler temperatures began to arrive over the McDonald Fire on Thursday as a series of fronts moved across the region. This moderated fire behavior. A reconnaissance flight found minimal fire activity, mostly trailing and smoldering fire. There was minimal growth in the area. Overnight, weather stations in the area recorded between a half-inch and an inch of rain.

In the 5 Mile Creek area, teams have secured approximately 100 feet of depth along the line and will continue with cleanup operations to secure the edge of the fire. Teams will continue to monitor fire behavior for possible sightings or flanking attacks beyond the perimeter. Several observation posts will be manned by a wildfire module to provide information to teams on the ground. With wind and rain forecast, operations will be weather and safety dependent.

Weather: Rain is expected to continue on Friday, which will slow the spread of the fire, although it is expected to continue to smolder under the canopy and in areas with less rainfall. Winds will be from the west at 10 to 20 mph, shifting to the southwest in the evening. Temperatures are expected to be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. This should further reduce fire activity.

Burning permits: The Division of Forestry and Fire Protection has lifted the suspension of fire permits for the Fairbanks, Salcha, Delta, Tok and Railbelt areas. Small and large area permits are required. Burning is permitted today. Fire danger in these areas is MODERATE. Please check the Fairbanks Area Forestry Fire Permit Hotline or call them at (907) 451-2631 for the most up to date information.

Air quality: The cool, wet weather has significantly mitigated fire behavior and smoke development. Some smoke is still visible in the Tanana River Valley, which will likely dissipate Friday. It will become a little drier and windier, but the overall pattern will remain cool and wet through the weekend and into next week. With smoke development suppressed, air quality is expected to remain GOOD. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (1650 Cowles St.) has clean air rooms for people affected by smoke. These are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For information on protecting yourself from wildfire smoke, visit the Smoke Management page at

Evacuation instructions: A Level 2 Evacuation Order: SET is in effect for the approximately 20 cabins near the southeast edge of the fire west of the Tanana River. Communities east of the Tanana River are in READY status, including the neighborhoods of Johnson Road, Canaday, Harding Lake, Salcha, the lower Salcha River, Hollies Acres and south of Birch Lake. For more information and an interactive map of these areas, visit the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Services website.

Temporary flight restriction: The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been adjusted based on public input to allow floatplane access to Harding Lake. Note that helicopter operations for firefighting purposes will continue in the area. For more information, visit tfr.faa.gov.

-BLM-

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, PO Box 35005, 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703

Do you need public domain images to complement your coverage of the BLM Alaska Fire Service in Alaska?

Visit our Flickr channel! For more information, visit www.blm.gov/AlaskaFireService and follow us on Facebook and Þjórsárden.

The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS), headquartered in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland firefighting services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities including: interpretation of fire protection policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuel management projects; and operation and maintenance of advanced communications and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with an inventory of $18.1 million. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland firefighting services for America's “last frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.

Categories: Active Wildfires, BLM Alaska Fire Service

Tags: McDonald fire