Single Publication

Size:  172,236

Personnel:  93

Start Date: June 8, 2024

Cause:  Lightning

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Demobilizing of firefighting personnel and removing equipment from the field increases on the McDonald Fire as the Idaho Team 1 Incident Management Team 3 transitions command of the fire to a smaller BLM Alaska Fire Service organization. This transition begins with incoming fire managers shadowing the current operations and strategy personnel through Friday, ensuring the smooth and safe transfer of command scheduled for 7 a.m. Saturday.

Fire crews continue mop up and securing line in the 5 Mile Creek Area around 21 cabins south of the fire.

Weather: Cloudy conditions with chances of rain return to the area for Thursday. Temperatures will be in the low 60s.

Evacuation Notices: A Level 2: SET evacuation notice is in effect for about 21 cabins near the fire’s southeastern edge west of the Tanana River. Communities east of the Tanana River are in READY status, including the Johnson Road neighborhoods, Canaday, Harding Lake, Salcha, the Lower Salcha River, Hollies Acres, and south to Birch Lake. Find more information and an interactive map of these areas on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Services website.

Temporary Flight Restriction: The temporary flight restriction (TFR) has been adjusted based on public input to give float plane access to Harding Lake. Be aware helicopter operations to support the fire continue in the area. Visit tfr.faa.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.