Lightning sparks new fires across Interior Alaska
Matt Buxton mbuxton@newsminer.com|18 hours ago
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Updated 10:35 p.m.: The Division of Forestry says more than 18,000 lightning strikes were recorded Saturday and Sunday, resulting in at about 37 new fires. About two dozen were within the Bureau of Land Management protection zones in the northern part of the state. Initial suppression efforts are underway on several fires and more new fires are anticipated to be discovered Monday.
FAIRBANKS - Firefighting crews were busy Sunday responding to new fires throughout the Interior caused by a flurry of lightning over the weekend.
More than 8,000 lightning strikes were reported in the state on Saturday, and at least 8,300 through Sunday evening. Around 20 new fires were reported over the weekend, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.
"A lot of lightning and a lot of fires popped up yesterday and I think today we're seeing fires pop up today that were the caused by lightning," said Tim Mowry, spokesman for the Alaska Division of Forestry, on Sunday afternoon. "It's eerily reminiscent of last year at this time."
In the Interior, crews were busy with two new fires Sunday afternoon, one believed to be human-caused and the other by caused by lightning.
A fire engine and air retardant tankers were hitting the half-acre Fairbanks Creek Fire, about a half-mile off Fairbanks Creek Road. That fire is believed to be human-caused.
About 10 miles northwest of that fire was the 40-acre Poker Creek Fire, also found Sunday and believed to be caused by lightning.
Mowry said crews were attacking the Poker Creek Fire with force, including smokejumpers and air tankers. A helicopter was also ordered to drop water on the fire if weather allowed for it.
Saturday night crews hit the 2016 Washington Creek Fire north of Haystack Mountain, about 25 miles north of Fairbanks. It was reported at 20 acres with extreme fire behavior, including 50-foot flames. Mowry said crews attacked with with a lot of resources and worked past midnight. He said it appeared to be becoming under control Sunday afternoon.
"That was a great catch by the firefighters," he said. "It had potential to spread pretty quickly but we were able to get firefighters and smokejumpers in. ... It seems like they've got a pretty good handle on that fire."
Mowry said with the multiple fires springing up throughout the area resources are stretched, but said as of Sunday that things are not out of control.
He said rain is helping, but that it's been spotty.
"It's sort of like musical fires at this point," he said, "but so far we're hanging in there."
Burn suspension in effect
The Department of Natural Resources launched a burn suspension in the Fairbanks area with very high fire danger in Fairbanks and the Railbelt with high fire danger in Salcha.
The suspension means burn permits for burning debris, including burn barrels, are temporarily put on hold due to fire danger and hazardous weather conditions as determined by the Department of Natural Resources. Permits are normally required for burns between April 1 and Aug. 31 for burning in most areas except for cooking, warming and signal fires. Extreme fire danger can trigger a closure of all burns.
Contact staff writer Matt Buxton at 459-7544. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMpolitics.
