Single Publication

Warmer, dryer weather predicted as work continues on the McDonald Fire

Size:  30,022 acres    
Personnel:  57    
Start Date: June 8, 2024    
Cause:  Lightning

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Sunny skies have contributed to warming and drying across the McDonald Fire. On Saturday afternoon, a fly over of the McDonald Fire showed mostly smoldering fire behavior with some single tree torching on the north side of the fire. A satellite image from Saturday night revealed an acreage decrease providing more accurate mapping.

Saturday, firefighters fine-tuned the sprinkler systems strategically placed around the structures and continued to increase the defensible space in that area. Two helicopter landing areas were identified and improved as part of the incident’s contingency plan in the case that other landing areas are not available due to smoke or increased fire behavior.

Sunday, firefighters will continue to increase the defensible space and open up established trails. The southeast corner of the fireline will be scouted looking for more opportunities to prevent fire spread toward the cabins during the current and future high fire danger weather. Fire specialists are clarifying and improving fire plans for Military infrastucture and identified archeological sites in the area.

The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection’s personnel staged near the McDonald Fire at Harding Lake continue fuels mitigation work at the Harding Lake State Park.  These crews, Pioneer Peak and Gannett Glacier are prepared to quickly respond to any new starts in the Interior.

Weather Forecast: Sunny skies will contribute to dry, hot conditions over the fire area. Sunday afternoon the high temperatures will near 80 degrees and humidity will be dropping to mid 20s. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will be limited to higher terrain. Westerly winds will remain light except when storms produce stronger gusts.

Burn Permits: The Division of Forestry and Fire Protection (DOF) has issued Burn Permit Suspensions for Fairbanks, Salcha 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:  No active advisories are currently in effect. Find information on how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke at the Smoke Management page on akfireinfo.com.

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 put areas along the lower Salcha River, Harding Lake, Hollies Acres, and Canaday neighborhoods in a READY status. Find more information and an interactive map of these areas on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Services website.

Contact BLM AFS Public Affairs Specialist Beth Ipsen at (907)356-5510 or eipsen@blm.gov for more information.

-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.