BLM issues fire restrictions to protect properties and residences north of Fairbanks

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Today, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Fairbanks District Office issued a fire prevention order prohibiting campfires, fireworks and explosives on federal lands in a fire-prone area of black spruce near Fox, Alaska and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility site on the Steese Highway. The order begins at 12:01 AM on May 1 and ends at midnight on October 31 or until the order is rescinded. 

The fire prevention order is to ensure public safety and protect nearby property and residences north of Fairbanks, Alaska, in the Gilmore Trail and Brier Road areas. This fire order is in effect through the summer to restrict open fires in this area after numerous unattended bonfires led to concerns that an escaped fire could threaten local residences, as well as the NOAA facility on Gilmore Creek. 

The fire prevention order goes into effect at 12:01 AM on May 1 and ends at midnight on October 31 unless it is rescinded due to weather conditions or other factors. Anyone convicted of violating this order could face a fine of up to $1,000, spend up to a year in jail and be responsible for costs associated with fire suppression and damages.  

For more information about this order, including the public lands involved, contact Fairbanks District Fire Planner Wendy McCartney at (907) 474-2200 or wmccartney@blm.gov. For information on fire restrictions in Interior Alaska and statewide, contact the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center at (907) 356-5511 or visit akfireinfo.com. The BLM Alaska Fire Restrictions website also includes a list of current fire restrictions for BLM-managed public lands in Alaska. 

-BLM- 

_{Bureau Of Land Management, Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK  99709} 

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