BLM Alaska Fire Service, U.S. Army Alaska To Burn Debris Piles on Military Lands
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(FAIRBANKS, Alaska) – The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Alaska (USARAK), will be burning piles of woody debris on Fort Wainwright main post and military training areas south of Fairbanks. Burning operations may start as early as Saturday, Sept. 30 and will continue, as conditions allow, until Oct. 31.
Some of the 500 piles targeted for the burn plan are located on the section of Birch Hill and an area below Birch Hills that fall within the Fort Wainwright main post. The piles in the Yukon Training Area are scattered throughout an area directly north of Eielson Air Force Base. More piles are located on the Tanana Flats Training Area 11 miles south Fairbanks across the Tanana River. These piles were created during hazardous fuels reduction projects conducted by BLM AFS hand crews the past two summers to remove dead and decaying vegetation and black spruce in an effort to reduce the chances of a wildfire on military lands.
The piles will be ignited when weather conditions are favorable and winds are predicted to direct the smoke away from populated areas. The BLM AFS and USARAK only conduct prescribed fires when precise weather conditions and site prescriptions are met and an approved burn plan is in place that includes a burn permit approved by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC).
The BLM AFS and USARAK are working with the ADEC and the National Weather Service to monitor smoke conditions and air quality during the planning phase to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal policies and regulations governing air quality.
For more information about the prescribed fire on Fort Wainwright lands, contact the BLM AFS dispatch in Fairbanks at (907) 356-5554.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.