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White Mountains National Recreation Area fire closure rescinded today

Public access restored to popular trails and public use cabins in the Wickersham Dome area

Organization

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Eastern Interior Field Office

Media Contact:

 

Two ATVs parked in front of a small log cabin surround by spruce trees and willows on a sunny day.
The popular Lee’s public use cabin is accessible by OHV’s up to 1500 pounds curb weight and 64 inches wide.  Reservations for this and other BLM Alaska cabins can be made at recreation.gov. 

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Due to reduced wildland fire activity associated with the Minto Lakes Fire (#349), the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office rescinded the fire closure order that temporarily prohibited public access to the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area (NRA). The recension took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, 2022, leaving no remaining public access closures for the White Mountains NRA.

Recent cooler, wet weather has helped control fire activity, but visitors should remain alert for changes. “If there is another hot and dry period, the fire could come back to life and prompt another temporary area closure,” said Eastern Interior Field Office Manager Tim Hammond. “We ask that visitors continue to exercise safe practices and recreate responsibly on public lands to prevent wildfires.” 

Visitors are encouraged to practice these outdoor fire safety principles: 

  • Make a fire only if you have sufficient water to put it out completely and a shovel. 
  • Never leave a fire unattended.  
  • Keep fires small and manageable.  
  • Extinguish fires completely using the water, stir, water repeat method. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave. Every campfire should be cold before leaving it.  

More information about fire prevention is available at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/get-involved/fire-prevention.

Visitors should stay tuned to fire activity at akfireinfo.com and check for BLM Alaska fire restrictions website for current orders: https://www.blm.gov/programs/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/alaska-fire-service/fire-restrictions  

To start planning your visit, download the free digital public information map for the White Mountains NRA at https://www.blm.gov/maps/georeferenced-PDFs.

-BLM-

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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.