Single Publication

Burn operations complete on the McDonald Fire

Size:  44,892 acres
Personnel:  83
Start Date: June 8, 2024
Cause:  Lightning

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Firefighter resources on the McDonald Fire have completed burn operations on the south side of the fire, west of the 5 Mile Creek cabins. Burn operations remove fuels between values at risk and the active fire. Hotshot crews will create a contingency fireline on the east side of the 5 Mile Creek cabins. The cabins have been prepped by firefighters with sprinkler systems to wet down the area and nearby vegetation has been removed. Smokejumpers are preparing military infrastructure in the Clear Creek area by removing hazardous fuels and installing sprinklers, pumps and hose, in the event the fire reaches these sites. Firefighters continue to patrol the Richardson Highway corridor and adjacent subdivisions. Three lookouts have been established to provide information to firefighters on the ground. 

Lightning ignited 2 new fires on military lands, Friday, about 15 miles to the northwest of the McDonald Fire. Fire 204 was 300-acres with an active perimeter and continuous fuel ahead of the fire with high potential to spread. Fire 205 was one acre with 30% active perimeter.  Firefighters will assess military infrastructure to the north for structure protection operations. These fires are burning in proximity to military impact areas. Due to the hazard of unexploded ordnance these fires will remain unstaffed.

Please use caution and turn on headlights while driving along the Richardson Highway as smoke may impact visibility. The fire danger in the area remains critically high.

Weather: Near Red Flag conditions are forecasted Saturday afternoon and possibly again on Sunday afternoon. Sunny, dry and very warm conditions are expected over the fire Saturday into Monday. Conditions will continue to warm and dry into next week.  

Burn Permits:  The DOF has issued Burn Permit Suspensions for Fairbanks, Salcha, Tok and Railbelt areas. The fire danger in these areas remains HIGH. Please check https://dnr.alaska.gov/burn/fireareas or call the burn permit hotline for the Fairbanks Area Forestry at (907) 451-2631 for the most current updates.

Air Quality:  An Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) air quality advisory is in effect for the Central and Eastern Alaska due to wildfire smoke through 2 p.m. Sunday. Low-level smoke will affect communities near the McDonald Fire. During the evening hours, smoke will settle in the flats, impacting a larger number of communities in the area. The ADEC expects increased smoke production from wildfires in Canada, northeast Alaska and McGrath during the advisory period. Find information on how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke at the Smoke Management page on https://akfireinfo.com/smoke-management/.

Evacuation Notices:  The Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) issued a Level 2: SET evacuation notice for the approximately 20 cabins that are near the fire’s southern edge. The FNSB also has areas along the lower Salcha River, Harding Lake, Hollies Acres, Canaday, Salcha and Johnson Road neighborhoods in a READY status. Find more information and an interactive map of these areas on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Services website.

Temporary Flight Restriction:  Location is 30 nautical miles southeast of Fairbanks to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft. The TFR is posted at https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_0375.html.

-BLM-

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, P.O. Box 35005 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, Ak 99703

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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS) located at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services for over 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation Lands in Alaska. In addition, AFS has other statewide responsibilities that include: interpretation of fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuels management projects; and operating and maintaining advanced communication and computer systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a National Incident Support Cache with a $18.1 million inventory. The Alaska Fire Service provides wildland fire suppression services for America’s “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Military in Alaska.