Alaska Wildfire

[NJFFSA16]

AP-WA--Alaska Wildfires

Fire threatens lodge near Chena Hot Springs

(Anchorage-AP) -- Firefighters are battling to keep a wildfire
from consuming an Alaska lodge.
Pete Buist of the Alaska Forestry Division says the fire has
burned more than 76-hundred acres and destroyed three cabins but
there's still a chance of saving the building.
The blaze crossed the Chena River yesterday (Saturday) despite
major efforts by firefighting crews.
Another fire near Livengood Alaska has sent heavy smoke over the
Minto Flats and the Parks Highway as well. Officials say that fire
has damaged about 63-hundred acres.
Further south, firefighters were cleaning up a fire that nearly
blew up into a major blaze threatening the town of Anderson.
A wildfire near McGrath was up to 10-thousand acres, but
officials say the danger of that fire reaching any structures was
considered low.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

2003 season
---------------------------------------------
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Firefighters and smokejumpers were racing
against strong winds Monday that were pushing a wildfire toward an
Anderson subdivision, state fire officials said.
The fire broke out Monday afternoon about 4 miles from the
structures, said Pete Buist with the Alaska Division of Forestry.
Winds as fast as 20 mph were fueling the blaze - dubbed the Rex
Ridge fire.
Firefighters dropped retardant and buckets of water on the
burning area, but about 400 acres had burned by 5 p.m. Monday,
according to Buist. He said the fire was running and spotting
through black spruce in an area where the Parks Highway crosses the
Nenana River.
"The Tanana Valley is like a wind tunnel right now," Buist
said.
The cause of the fire was unknown, but Buist said there had been
no reports of lighting in the area.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A fire near Delta Junction burned south
Saturday past Sand Creek and toward cabins on the lower Goodpaster
River.
Firefighters had hoped to stop the fire at the creek but were
unsuccessful because of warm, dry weather. Six crews have been
assigned to the lightning-caused fire, which began June 14 about 25
miles northeast of Delta Junction.
By Sunday, it had burned approximately 30,000 acres, spreading
toward cabins on the South Fort and Central Creek. Low levels on
the Goodpaster River were hampering efforts to move firefighters
and equipment.
On Friday, firefighters helped area cabin owners protect their
properties, setting up sprinkler systems, clearing brush and
preparing for a possible burnout.
About 150 miles northwest, a fire that crossed the trans-Alaska
oil pipeline and the Dalton Highway grew substantially on Saturday.
The blaze, called the Erickson Creek fire, grew 9,700 acres to
reach 13,700 acres, fire officials said.
The fire, which was started Tuesday by lightning north of
Livengood, spotted across Hess Creek to the north and burned to the
east and southwest, with flames shooting 100 feet into the air.
The fire moved across the pipeline Thursday night, but fire and
pipeline officials said there was no danger to the line.
Elsewhere, eight crews continued to put out hot spots at the
1,500-acre Albert Creek fire near Central. Firefighters also were
restoring dozer lines around the blaze, which was fully contained
Thursday night.
Fire officials said temporary flight restrictions over the Sand
Creek and Albert Creek fires were in place. They urged pilots to
stay out of those areas.
Officials also urged motorists to keep their headlights on and
be careful while driving through the area of the Erickson Creek
fire where it crossed the Dalton Highway at milepost 21.5.
Two new fires were reported Saturday to the Alaska Interagency
Coordination Center. Those small fires in the Fairbanks and Delta
areas were contained.
Three of the 22 wildfires burning in Alaska were being fought
and the others were monitored, officials said.
So far this year, 312 fires statewide have burned 77,000 acres.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Favorable weather conditions continued
to slow the expansion of large Interior wildfires Wednesday.
Division of Forestry spokesman Pete Buist said clouds that
covered much of the Interior on Wednesday made a big difference,
slowing solar heating and drying of fire fuel.
"The rate of spread is not nearly as rapid ... when we have
cloud cover."
The Sand Creek Fire near the Goodpaster River northeast of Delta
Junction grew to 41,000 acres Wednesday morning but spent most of
the day slowly creeping outward on all borders.
"We haven't had a lot of active running on the fire this
afternoon," said information officer Paul Slenkamp. The fire is
"backing" into unburned areas, he said.
The fire had nearly 200 people working on Tuesday night and more
crews arrived Wednesday.
Its slow movement brought the southern edge of the burn to about
three-quarters of a mile from the nearest cabins on the south fork
of the Goodpaster River. Crews continued to work at cabin sites,
clearing out combustibles and installing pumps and sprinklers,
Slenkamp said.
The Erickson Creek Fire, which earlier this week closed the
Dalton Highway, continued to burn in a limited suppression area
Wednesday. The Dalton Highway is open but smoke continued to cause
poor visibility.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Firefighters plan to burn a mile-wide
swath of spruce trees in an attempt to halt the rapid spread of two
large wildfires in the Alaska Interior.
Dozens of fires continued to blaze Wednesday across Alaska. Fire
crews were temporarily buoyed by incoming clouds that raised the
humidity, but by afternoon, the weather had again turned against
them.
"We're right back into the hot, dry, windy weather," said fire
information officer Gary Lehnhausen.
Eight separate fires burned Wednesday in the Solstice complex in
northeast of Alaska. The two biggest blazes - the Pingo and Winter
Trail fires - grew by a combined 29,500 acres by Tuesday night,
Lehnhausen said.
A total of 103,000 acres in and around the complex were ablaze
as of Tuesday night, he said, citing the most current numbers
available.
Crews will build fire lines ahead of the Pingo and Winter Trail
fires, Lehnhausen said. Firefighters plan to burn out black and
white spruce trees a mile wide, leaving the fires with nothing to
feed on when they reach those points, he said.
It will take two or three days to assemble the eight crews and
gather the resources needed to build the fire lines, he said. The
community of Venetie lies just 10 miles south of the Pingo fire.
"There's nothing to indicate that Venetie is going to be
threatened before that project is completed," Lehnhausen said.
The Pingo fire is burning on private land owned by the Venetie
tribe, which has been concerned about protecting timber, fish and
wildlife.
Smoke from the wildfires in the upper Yukon Valley, as far south
as Fairbanks, has created unhealthy air quality for sensitive
individuals, said the state Department of Environmental
Conservation's division of air and water quality.
One firefighter was injured Tuesday night at one of the Solstice
complex fires when he was filling a chain saw with gasoline and it
ignited, burning his hands and leg. The firefighter was taken to a
hospital where he was treated and released.
The identity of the firefighter was not immediately known
Wednesday, Lehnhausen said.
There were 61 fires across the state on Tuesday, according to
the fire information center. Six new fires were reported Tuesday,
after more than 700 lightning strikes were recorded.
"With all the activity building up around the state, it puts a
strain on the resources," Lehnhausen said.
Because of extreme smoke and burning conditions, airplanes could
not reach the American Summit fire, about 13 miles south of Eagle,
which had burned 10,000 acres.
The 30,000-acre Chicken fire, in black spruce and tundra, was
burning 50 miles northeast of Tok. Another fire was spotted near
Chicken on Tuesday, according to the fire information center.
The Boundary fire, burning along the Steese Highway northeast of
Fairbanks, had spread to 17,421 acres.
---
On the Net:
www.fire.ak.blm.gov

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[budthespud]

About a month ago, Alaska was screaming for
tankers. Two DC-6s from Canada Alaska hired
independent of the USFS (because the USFS
inevitably fails to meet Alaska requirements)
are among the grounded.

No air tanker not on the USFS approved list
gets to work.

So the groundpounders do what they can.

[NJFFSA16]

WHITEHORSE (CP) - Residents of a tiny community southeast of
here were on evacuation alert Thursday as smoke from a nearby
wildfire threatened to again close part of the Alaska Highway.
The Swan Lake fire, which moved eight kilometres toward Swift
River's roughly 50 residents on Wednesday, started across the
border in British Columbia, south of the Alaska Highway.
One woman said she'd begun loading essentials into her truck and
making other preparations should an evacuation be ordered.
"There is some stuff we are packing in the truck and the other
stuff will just be ready to go at a moment's notice," said Winnie
Langille.
Fire management officials and the Yukon's Emergency Measure
Organization were sending more resources to the community, about
200 kilometres southeast of Whitehorse, to protect structures and
ensure public safety.
Officials said the fire was relatively quite Thursday with
mellow northeast winds blowing away from the community. The blaze
was about three square kilometres in size.
The fire was pushed across the highway Wednesday, forcing the
road's closure at Watson Lake to the south and Teslin to the
north.
It was reopened at 7 a.m. Thursday, although fire management
officials said there was a possibility of another closure as
burning conditions worsened through the day.
Officials were making arrangements with Watson Lake to host
evacuees if necessary.
Ken Colbert, head of the territory's wildland fire management
team, said a senior B.C. fire management team of 10 or so was to
arrive this afternoon to assess the Swan Lake fire because it
started in B.C. territory south of the highway.
There has been no decision, however, on whether the province
will take over the fire or whether it will remain under the
management of the Yukon.

There were 50 active fires in the Yukon on Thursday, with an
estimated 1,200 square kilometres burned so far this year.
The fire situation has exhausted the territory's fleet of
private helicopters, said Colbert.
Conditions are expected to remain hot and dry, and more
lightning with not a lot of precipitation is expected, particularly
further north, he said.
Support crews were expected to arrive from Ontario on Thursday.
As well, six water bombers arrived Wednesday from Alberta to assist
crews using 12 helicopters to fight fires.
(Whitehorse Star)


(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[budthespud]

Yukon may lose it's entire telecom capability, yes.

Whitehorse is in Yukon, not Alaska.

"CP" is Canadian Press.

Canada sent the biggest waterbombers it could send
according to the radio - DC-6s - from Alberta.

These couldn't knock the fires down.

One IL-76 waterbomber carries about 4 DC-6 loads at once.

The IL-76 would be the only tool you could use against that
wildfire but somebody or something is holding back the IL-76
and since the US Forest Service appears to be the only authority
of record, the US Forest Service can take the heat.

But that doesn't let Canada off the hook, Canada's let itself be
taken off the hook and is perfectly capable of independently using
the IL-76 if it wants.

[budthespud]

Wildfires Strand Alaska Travelers, RVs

Friday June 25, 2004 7:16 PM


AP Photo AKAG101

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Wildfires kept 90 miles of highway closed Friday, stranding at least 150 people and dozens of RVs in the tiny mining community of Chicken.

The community was not believed to be in danger, but it has no land phone lines, so details were limited to occasional radio transmissions from fire crews, said Craig McCaa, a fire information officer in Tok.

Three fires - fueled by light winds and hot, dry air - prompted the closure of the Taylor Highway on Thursday on both sides of Chicken, a hamlet near the Canadian border with a permanent population of 21.

Residents, seasonal miners and travelers were trapped, fire officials said.

``It is a very dangerous situation right now,'' said fire dispatcher Gene Burke in Tok.

The biggest of the fires, covering 33,000 acres, was about a mile south of the community but was not kicking up, McCaa said. That blaze was sparked June 15 by two lightning strikes.

A second fire to the south had burned at least 16,000 acres. The size of the third blaze, about six miles east of Chicken, was unknown.

So far this year, 298 fires statewide have burned at least 350,654 acres, fire officials said.

^---

[NJFFSA16]

FOX, Alaska (AP) - Cool, humid weather Sunday helped slow the
advance of a wildfire that caused the evacuation of hundreds of
homes and businesses in Alaska's Interior, and forecasters
predicted wetter weather would soon follow.
An evacuation order remained in effect Sunday for 277 homes and
businesses still threatened by the blaze. The fire has spread over
306,000 acres, up from 280,000 the day before.
Susan Woods was among the few evacuees allowed to return home as
much of the heavy smoke blanketing the region about 30 miles north
of Fairbanks dissipated.
"To get in my own bed seems more appealing than celebrating the
Fourth of July," she said before leaving the truck-stop lot that
had been her temporary home for five days.
Many residents camped out at the truck stop with their pets.
Others took their animals - including horses, llamas, reindeer and
goats - to the fairgrounds in Fairbanks.
Most displaced by the fire were urged to stay away Sunday,
though state troopers let some homeowners return to retrieve
possessions or check on property, fire officials said.
Firefighters planned to bulldoze and burn out a fire line
between evacuated areas and the southwestern edge of the fire,
which has damaged at least one home, fire information officer C.J.
Norvell said.
The Alaska Army National Guard dispatched two helicopters
equipped with 900-gallon buckets that can be used to drop water on
fires.
The fire, started June 13 by lightning, is considered 15 percent
contained, fire officials said. It was the largest of 62 fires
active in the state on Sunday, and the only one with an evacuation
order in effect. So far this year, more than 1.8 million acres in
Alaska have burned.
Elsewhere, a wildfire about 110 miles northeast of Tucson,
Ariz., threatened the observatory that is home to the $120 million
Large Binocular Telescope - one of the world's most powerful
optical instruments.
"It's threatened, but I think it's defendable," said Duane
Archuleta, an operations chief for the fire management team. The
fire was estimated to be between 10,000 acres and 12,000 acres.
Firefighters planned to build a protection line around Mount
Graham International Observatory and reinforce nearby roads that
will be used as barriers against the blaze.
The fire, which was caused by lightning, and another 5,254-acre
fire nearby prompted the evacuation of the observatory and 85
cabins on the mountain Friday. State officials issued a health
advisory to protect people in nearby towns from smoke.
The fires were 2 to 3 miles apart and were expected to join in
the next couple of days, said Paul Summerfelt, the deputy incident
commander for the team fighting the smaller blaze.
---
On the Net:
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/
www.dnr.state.ak.us/forestry/
http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/

[NJFFSA16]

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Every summer for the past 40 years,
William Tritt has left his home in remote northern Alaska to find
work on the fires that devour the state's wildlands.
Like many rural Alaskans whose villages have few jobs and are
accessible only by boat or plane, Tritt depends on the money he
makes during the short fire season to help pay bills the rest of
the year.
"It'll help a lot of people, this fire," said Tritt, 57, who
traveled 290 miles from Arctic Village, population 166, to tend a
camp for firefighters working on a blaze northeast of Fairbanks.
It's a little known silver lining to the fires that have burned
about 2 million acres in Alaska this year - they're also putting
paychecks in the pockets of hundreds of Alaskans.
This past week, close to 1,700 people were playing some role in
battling eight major blazes raging throughout Alaska, said Brett
Ricker, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Interagency Coordination
Center at Fort Wainwright.
Cooks, bulldozer operators, supply workers - the jobs run the
gamut, and so does the pay, Ricker said. Entry-level firefighters
make about $14.50 an hour, plus overtime. Some are just called up
for a couple of weeks at the height of the fire season, but
firefighters who work steadily throughout the summer can pull in
more than $18,000, Ricker said.
They work hard - putting in long hours, with few days off.
"You live and breathe fire, that's about it," Ricker said.
Charlotte Mayo, who works at the firefighting camp in Fairbanks,
said this is her sixth year finding work on the fires.
"Soon as I started smelling the smoke, I missed it again," she
said. "I was thinking I was missing out."
Mayo and more than two dozen others from Allakaket, population
102, either have jobs on firefighting or support crews, or are
ready to be called up.
Fort Yukon, a community of about 575, is serving as the command
post for a 325,000-acre complex of fires, with the closest about 25
miles northwest of town.
The fires have put about 51 Fort Yukon people to work, and
others are renting out their all-terrain vehicles and boats - the
federal Bureau of Land Management will pay $63 a day for an ATV
rental and about $500 a day for a boat, said fire information
officer Annie Larsen.
"This is a good opportunity for us right now," said Roberta
Thomas, who's working in a warehouse supply unit. "There are
limited jobs available, so when fire season comes around it's a
good opportunity for men and women."
Larsen said the agency's policy throughout the country is to
purchase supplies locally and hire residents when possible for
firefighting. That saves transportation costs, provides local
knowledge to those running the operations and helps local
economies.
Still, a fat paycheck is sometimes little comfort for those
fighting the fires.
Fort Yukon residents worry the fires could endanger relatives,
damage remote cabins where boats, snowmobiles and hunting and
fishing gear are stored, and affect wild game they depend on to
feed their families.
"It's not the kind of economy that we would like to see, but it
does help the local people with some of the needed monies," said
Clarence Alexander, who's working in the communications unit at
Fort Yukon.
"Hopefully, it gets under control."
---
On the Net:
http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/forestry/

[NJFFSA16]

Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Residents of two Yukon River
communities have been told to gather their belongings and be ready
to leave if a wildfire burning five miles away moves closer to
their homes.
A pre-evacuation advisory has been issued for Eagle, population
126, and Eagle Village, population 59, two towns near Alaska's
border with Canada.
The local airport has been designated a safety zone and the Red
Cross has set up a shelter in Tok, about 165 miles away, according
to Gil Knight, a fire information officer with the Alaska
Interagency Coordination Center at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks.
"We're trying to give it a two-hour notice - plenty of time to
move on," Knight said.
On Tuesday, as warm and dry conditions increased fire activity
in other parts of the state, cooler temperatures and low, thick
smoke near Eagle halted the Deer Creek fire's advance on the town,
Knight said.
The fire is part of the Eagle complex of fires, which has burned
about 473,000 acres in northeastern Alaska.
For days, Eagle residents have been hauling water and clearing
trees and vegetation around their homes.
Some said they wouldn't leave their property even if an
evacuation order came.
"We're not going to be stupid about it," said Marlys House,
who owns Falcon Inn Bed and Breakfast. "I think people here have
been prepared for this situation if it comes to that."
Mike Sager, owner of Eagle Canoe Rentals, said the air was thick
with smoke, but with the Yukon River nearby, he didn't see the need
to leave.
"I'm not going anywhere," Sager said. "I think they're
working on evacuation plans, (but) I'm sure a lot of people won't
leave."
Fires continued to blaze Tuesday along the Taylor Highway,
Eagle's only roadway out of town. Fire information officers said
delays of up to eight hours could be expected.
Fires have burned about 2.6 million acres in the state this
year.
With forecasts for continued dry weather and high temperatures,
firefighters expect the Interior blazes to keep burning, even
though the traditional end of the fire season is approaching
"Historically, this area should have a season-ending weather
event by July 30. Here we are on the 13th," Knight said. "It's
not a normal year."
While firefighters are confident about being able to protect
homes in the vicinity of the wildfires, the unpredictable winds
have increased concern for the 1,585 firefighters battling Interior
blazes.
"Firefighter safety is our primary concern," said fire
information officer Frances Reynolds.
Reynolds said the center expected more "red flag" warnings to
be issued for the remainder of the week. The National Weather
Service issues the warnings when conditions are expected to be hot
and dry with winds gusting up to 30 mph.
"It is going to be a long week," Reynolds said.
Meanwhile, in Southern California, firefighters working in
triple-digit heat battled two wildfires that have charred more than
8,400 acres of brush and forest and prompted evacuation of dozens
of homes. No homes had been destroyed, authorities said.
Three firefighters suffered heat exhaustion Monday as they
battled a 5,000-acre blaze on the edge of the San Bernardino
National Forest west of Palm Springs. Two campgrounds were
evacuated as about 1,000 firefighters, backed by helicopters and
planes, worked to contain the fire that began Sunday afternoon.
The blaze was 25 percent contained, but could still threaten the
mountain communities of Idyllwild, Pine Cove and Garner Valley,
officials said.
In northern Los Angeles County, a 3,200-acre fire in the Lake
Hughes area of the Angeles National Forest was 30 percent
contained. The fire prompted the mandatory evacuation of 10 homes
in the Happy Valley community shortly after midnight, and about 24
homes in nearby communities were evacuated voluntarily Monday.
---
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov/

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

By RACHEL D'ORO
Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Taylor Complex fires continued to
smolder Sunday as crews raced against hot, dry conditions to
protect cabins northeast of Tok.
"It's big out there," fire information officer Kris Eriksen
said of the three fires in the 428,000-acre complex. "We have very
active burning and extreme fire conditions."
The largest blaze in the complex, the 209,000-acre Porcupine
fire northeast of Tok, was creeping south toward cabins scattered
along the north bank of the Tanana River six to eight miles from
Tok. A small finger of fire was within a half mile of the river,
where fire managers were setting up a remote camp for crews
Saturday.
"Our main objective is to keep the fire from crossing the
Tanana," Eriksen said. "We couldn't create dozer lines as wide
and as wet as that river. It's our best line of defense."
Other wildfires were burning hotly Sunday elsewhere in the
Interior, where most of the 107 current blazes in the state are
located. Fire officials said eight new fires were caused by
lightning, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
By the latest estimates, wildfires have burned close to 3.5
million acres this summer.
The 170,000-acre Central Complex fire northeast of Fairbanks
continued to torch in places, sending up thick columns of smoke,
said fire information spokesman Ted Pettis. Firefighters worked on
reinforcing lines to ward off the 44,000-acre Bolgen fire about
three miles northwest of homes on the outskirts of Circle and six
miles north of Central.
"They're also doing sprinkler work around those communities,"
Pettis said. "We want to soak those areas as much as possible so
if there's any sparking, hopefully it'll land on wet ground."
Crews also cleared out charred trees that have fallen across the
Steese Highway between miles 143 and 149 since the Bolgen fire
jumped the roadway July 12. The highway remains open, but Pettis
said motorists can expect intermittent delays on that stretch.
Closer to Fairbanks, the 421,000-acre Boundary fire was very
active Saturday, but had calmed Sunday under increased humidity and
some light rain, said fire information spokeswoman Traci Weaver.
New aerial infrared mapping showed the Boundary fire had merged
with the 200,000 Wolf Creek fire to the east.
"People who live in the area have been really concerned about
that," Weaver said. "There are a lot of misconceptions that the
merging could cause all this energy and power. But it's a non issue
at this point. What burns goes into an area that's already burned -
just like we use fire to fight fire."
---
On the Net:
www.dnr.state.ak.us/forestry/
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/



(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Taylor Complex fires continued to
smolder Sunday as crews raced against hot, dry conditions to
protect cabins northeast of Tok.
"It's big out there," fire information officer Kris Eriksen
said of the three fires in the 428,000-acre complex. "We have very
active burning and extreme fire conditions."
The largest blaze in the complex, the 209,000-acre Porcupine
fire northeast of Tok, was creeping south toward cabins scattered
along the north bank of the Tanana River six to eight miles from
Tok. A small finger of fire was within a half mile of the river,
where fire managers were setting up a remote camp for crews
Saturday.
"Our main objective is to keep the fire from crossing the
Tanana," Eriksen said. "We couldn't create dozer lines as wide
and as wet as that river. It's our best line of defense."
Other wildfires were burning hotly Sunday elsewhere in the
Interior, where most of the 107 current blazes in the state are
located. Eight new fires were caused by lightning, according to the
Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
By the latest estimates, wildfires have burned close to 3.5
million acres this summer.
The 170,000-acre Central Complex fire northeast of Fairbanks
continued to torch in places, sending up thick columns of smoke,
said fire information spokesman Ted Pettis. Firefighters worked on
reinforcing lines to ward off the 44,000-acre Bolgen fire about
three miles northwest of homes on the outskirts of Circle and six
miles north of Central.
"They're also doing sprinkler work around those communities,"
Pettis said. "We want to soak those areas as much as possible so
if there's any sparking, hopefully it'll land on wet ground."
Crews also cleared out charred trees that have fallen across the
Steese Highway between miles 143 and 149 since the Bolgen fire
jumped the roadway July 12. The highway remains open, but Pettis
said motorists can expect intermittent delays on that stretch.
Closer to Fairbanks, the 421,000-acre Boundary fire was very
active Saturday, but had calmed Sunday under increased humidity and
some light rain, said fire information spokeswoman Traci Weaver.
The Boundary fire increased 60,000 acres on Sunday, reaching
473,000 acres.
New aerial infrared mapping showed the Boundary fire had merged
with the 200,000 Wolf Creek fire to the east.
"People who live in the area have been really concerned about
that," Weaver said. "There are a lot of misconceptions that the
merging could cause all this energy and power. But it's a non issue
at this point. What burns goes into an area that's already burned -
just like we use fire to fight fire."
---
On the Net:
www.dnr.state.ak.us/forestry/
http://fire.ak.blm.gov/



(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - A ferocious wildland fire that
destroyed 15 homes in Nevada's capital city and forced the
evacuation of hundreds of others was caused by an illegal campfire,
officials said.
Gary Schiff, Carson District ranger for the U.S. Forest Service,
said the origin of the fire was a 45-minute hike on a primitive
trail above the waterfalls in Kings Canyon.
"Because of the extreme fire danger the trailhead was clearly
posted with a sign prohibiting campfires," Schiff said, adding
that fire patrols in the area had also been increased.
Schiff said investigators have gathered "numerous pieces of
evidence," and would like to talk to anyone who was in the Kings
Canyon area up to a week before the fire was reported July 14.
The Waterfall fire was 95 percent contained on Monday with full
containment expected by Tuesday evening.
Rehabilitation began Sunday with creation of artificial terraces
to slow runoff this fall. Planting will come later in what's
expected to be a yearlong process.
The fire began early Wednesday and quickly spread to cover 7,600
acres along four miles of the Sierra foothill ridge west of the
state capital. Brisk winds sent the flames within one-half mile of
the governor's mansion.
At one point, more than 1,900 firefighters were on the lines,
aided in an aerial attack by air tankers and helicopters. By
Monday, most of the aircraft had been released and the number of
firefighters was edging down to 1,000.
"The danger has passed," said Stacey Giomi, acting Carson City
fire chief.
People who were evacuated from the suburban communities were
allowed to return to their homes over the weekend.
Some of the homeowners again raised questions on Sunday about
the speed of the response to the fire.
Schiff said the fire was first reported at about 3 a.m.
Wednesday and by 6 a.m., nine crews were on the scene with
helicopters and single-engine air tankers responding about an hour
later.
He and the other fire bosses agreed that dead vegetation and
five years of drought combined to create an extremely combustible
environment.
"This fuel is still that volatile," Giomi said. "We could
have a fire on the east side of town and it all could happen
again."
He and Schiff said people would continue to see spots of smoke
as crews torch remaining brush and timber to remove the fuel.
They also said residents could expect dust devils that might
look like smoke.
"If you see anything you don't like, call 911," Giomi said.
In response to earlier reports that young people partying in the
foothills where the fire started could have sparked it, Sheriff Ken
Furlong said he wasn't pointing any fingers.
"I'm not going to stand up here and say it's the kids," he
said. "Whether it's young or old, we want the person who started
this fire."
So far, it's estimated the cost of fighting the fire has reached
$4.8 million. No price tag has been put on the property destroyed,
which includes homes in the $1 million range.
---
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov/
Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center:
http://www.sierrafront.net/

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

HONOLULU (AP) - Firefighters succeeded Monday in containing a
brush fire that erupted last Wednesday at the base of the Waianae
Mountains.
A Honolulu Fire Department helicopter was slated to fly over the
area Tuesday morning to make sure the fire hasn't spread.
Fire spokesman Capt. Kenison Tejada said earlier Monday that a
500-gallon portable water tank helped firefighters douse hot spots
and other areas that were smoldering.
In all, the fire scorched 220 acres of brush and forest land.
The Nature Conservancy is concerned because the fire threatened
native Hawaiian birds and plants in its Honouliuli Preserve.
Pauline Sato, the group's Oahu program director, said the
devastation caused by the fire was significant.
Nature Conservancy officials said they expect to complete a
damage estimate by the end of the week.
The blaze was blamed on children playing with fire.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

APTV 07-20-04 0415EDT

[NJFFSA16]

2004 Alaska Stats as of July 20th

Total Acres Burned This Year: 3,581,501.5

Total Fires Year to Date Statewide: 459

Fires Currently Active: 107

New Active Fires: 3

[NJFFSA16]

Alaska wildfires grow to record 5 million acres
By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Wildfires have
scorched over 5 million acres in Alaska as of Tuesday, forestry
officials said, a new record that signals possible changes in
climate conditions and the composition of the vast forests.
"We will definitely not have the same kind of forest and
landscape that we're familiar with today if this keeps up,"
Glenn Juday, a forest-sciences professor at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks, said.
While it is common for vast sections of Alaska wild lands
to ignite and smolder under the extended summer daylight, this
year's fires have been driven by unusually hot and parched
weather and plentiful lightning strikes.
In a typical summer, 500,000 to 1.5 million Alaska acres
burn, according to statistics from past years. And usually,
fire is part of the natural cycle that clears black spruce and
white spruce, slender, fast-growing conifers with high levels
of flammable resin, out of the way for slower-growing hardwood
trees like birch and aspen.
Six hundred fires have burned during the summer, topping
the 4.94 million acres charred in 1957, the previous record
Alaska wildfire season.
As of Tuesday, 103 fires were still burning, including the
1.1 million-acre Taylor Complex fire that was created when
several blazes merged. About 50 buildings had been lost,
including seven homes, and 1,075 firefighters were on duty,
with about $30 million spent fighting the fires so far.
Fire managers were still waiting for the heavy rains that
usually douse Alaska's blazes by August.
"We didn't get that ground-soaking, long-duration rain,"
said Andy Alexandrou, a fire information officer with the
federal-state Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
Scientists warned that Alaska's trend is for increased
wildfires of this magnitude.
"Most of the explanations trace themselves back to the
climate change," Juday said.
REUTERS

[NJFFSA16]

FAIRBANKS (AP) - More than 6 million acres have burned in Alaska
this summer, an area nearly the size of New Hampshire, according to
fire officials.
"It's a record year in a lot of categories," said Joe Stam,
chief of fire and aviation for the state Division of Forestry.
Fire officials cite an unseasonably warm and dry summer for why
the old record of 5.1 million acres burned, set in 1957, was passed
almost two weeks ago.
The record for the driest summer was also in 1957, when less
than an inch of rain fell in the Fairbanks area from June 1 through
Aug. 28. This year, 1.81 inches of rain have fallen, according to
the National Weather Service.
Alaska started the year with a fire suppression budget of $6.7
million. The total reached $38 million authorized Aug. 18.
Fire officials say fires may not end until the snow flies - or
even next year.
"You'll never be absolutely sure it won't get bad again until
there's snow on the ground," said Steve Frye, incident commander
of a management team that until last week oversaw firefighting
efforts near Central.
Even cold weather may not put out fires, which can penetrate up
to 2 feet into the duff layer because of the dry conditions, Frye
said. Snow cover could keep fires smoldering over winter if the
conditions are right.
"That heat would have to receive enough oxygen to sustain it.
It would have to be in a place in the spring when the snow melted
it wasn't susceptible to that moisture because it would put it
out," Frye said. "A lot of things would have to come together."
Winds kicked up to 25 mph in some places around Central Sunday
night, but instead of spreading flames, the gusts blew the fire
back into an already blackened area, said Bill Watt, fire
information officer.
The 100,000-acre Evansville Fire near Bettles also flared to
life, sending large water-scooping aircraft to the remote village
to dump water Monday.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)