Single Publication

Firefighters maintain vigilant on McDonald Fire

Size:  38,117 acres
Personnel:  73
Start Date: June 8, 2024
Cause:  Lightning

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Following several days of persistent thunderstorms, firefighters remain alert for another bout of gusty, erratic winds on the McDonald Fire Wednesday afternoon. These winds, coupled with higher temperatures, may result in an increase of fire activity Wednesday afternoon. 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. The fire remains west of the Tanana River.

Crews continue to mop up and put out any hot areas along the direct fire line to provide additional protection to cabins on the 5 Mile Creek. Firefighters have completed prepping cabins with sprinklers and removing nearby burnable vegetation. As the day heats up, firefighters will use the sprinkler systems to wet down the area around cabins. Other tasks assigned to the crews on Wednesday include clearing fallen and weakened trees from 5 Mile Creek, assuring safe access and egress from the east side of the fire. There are three designated firefighters at lookouts on the east side of the fire feeding timely fire behavior updates to other firefighters. 

Two engines and the 11-person White Mountain Module from the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) are patrolling the Richardson Highway corridor and adjacent subdivisions. 

Weather:  Temperatures are expected to increase Wednesday. Isolated thunderstorms will increase in occurrence and become widely scattered in the afternoon and evening Wednesday. Small hail and gusty winds will accompany thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Isolated thunderstorms will persist through Thursday with widely scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. 

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. Thursday. 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 a few fires in the Yukon Flats 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.