Wildfire Season Has Begun in Alaska; Some of 85 Active Blazes Cause Smoke to Drift Toward Nome
Beth Ipsen with the Alaska Fire Service says “cluster fires” near Buckland and Kotzebue may bring smoky skies to Nome.
Wildfire Starts in Stebbins After Blaze Escapes Community Dump
Beth Ipsen, spokesperson for the BLM Alaska Fire Service, says the fire became their priority when already-burning debris in the dump went rogue around 9:30 Friday night. By Tuesday morning, she says, the six emergency firefighters from a Grayling crew had finished mopping up the fire that escaped the dump.
Some Western Alaska Fires Contained, Including Blaze Near Anvik
Thanks to rain near Anvik in recent days, remaining personnel fighting the Deadman’s Slough fire should be able to relocate elsewhere sometime today, says Beth Ipsen with the Alaska Fire Service.
Nineteen New Wildfires Appear in Western Alaska Within a Day
Less than three miles away from Anvik, the Deadman’s Slough fire has spread to around 420 acres since Monday. Ipsen says the crew fighting this fire has increased in number and has contained 30% of the fire.
Wildfires Spread Through Alaska, One Within Miles of Anvik
Deadman’s Slough is about three miles south of Anvik, where a fire, believed to be sparked by a lightning strike, has burnt through about 90 acres. At latest observation, winds were “blowing the fire away from the village, farther south,” says Beth Ipsen with the Alaska Fire Service.