Single Publication

For immediate release: July 13, 2022

Alaska Emergency Burn Closure Order Lifted

(FAIRBANKS, AK) – The State Forester for the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection has rescinded the Emergency Burn Closure. The closure will end Thursday morning, July 14, 2022, at 9:00 am ADST.

The closure has been in place since July 2, as the state experienced ongoing dry conditions. Recent wide-spread rains have moderated fire activity and brought temporary relief to drought stricken areas. As of Wednesday morning, there are 264 active fires in Alaska with 17 individual fires and six complexes staffed with 1,336 personnel.

Although the Emergency Burn Closure will be lifted, local, state, Native, and/or federal agencies may continue to have local fire restrictions in place on lands under their jurisdictions. Individuals who access these lands for any lawful purpose are responsible for determining if any local restrictions are in place before setting any fires, using fireworks or burning of any wood or paper debris.

The Division of Forestry evaluates conditions daily to determine whether a Burn Permit Suspension is warranted in a specific area and posts that information on its burn permit webpage at https://dnr.alaska.gov/burn/fireareas. People can click on a map on that webpage to see if there is a burn suspension in the Forestry Prevention Area in which they live. Or they can call their local Forestry Area Office’s hotline to see if burning is allowed.

Here is a list of the recorded burn hotline numbers for Division of Forestry Area offices around the state:

• Delta Junction – (907) 895-4225

• Fairbanks – (907) 451-2629

• Tok – (907) 883-1400

• Kenai/Kodiak – (907) 260-4260

• Mat-Su – (907) 761-6305

• Valdez/Copper River (907) 822-5534

• McGrath (907) 766-2120

• Haines (907) 766-2120

CONTACT: Division of Forestry Information Officer Sam Harrel, (907) 356-5512, sam.harrel@alaska.gov