Single Publication

Cooler temperatures and light rains calm the McDonald Fire

Size:  160,818 acres
Personnel:  76
Start Date: June 8, 2024
Cause:  Lightning

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Much of the McDonald Fire received light rain and cooler temperatures on Monday, calming fire activity. Although the rain wasn’t enough to wet the vegetation, it helped clear the air and lighten the smoke layer. Some stronger winds are expected on Tuesday; firefighters are prepared to respond to any surge in fire behavior.

Crews are securing a 50-foot-wide fire break to protect the cabins in the 5 Mile Creek area. Work continues on building indirect line, monitoring fire behavior and any potential spotting or flanking beyond the perimeter, and scouting new opportunities to contain fire growth. No additional acres were added to the perimeter overnight.

The Midnight Sun Hotshots completed their hitch on the fire and got back to Fairbanks for a few days of rest. They set up the crew from eastern Montana to continue their work on cabin protection alongside the Plumas Hotshots. Engines are patrolling the ridge and lookout areas to provide information to crews on the ground.

Weather: Stronger winds and warmer temperatures are predicted for Tuesday, which may create favorable weather for fire activity.

Burn Permits:  The Division of Forestry and Fire Protection has issued Burn Permit Suspensions for Fairbanks, Salcha, Delta, 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:  Overall, air quality should continue to improve as increasing west-southwest winds transport smoke toward Canada. However, this increase in winds may also increase smoke production and result in periods of localized decreased air quality and visibility in communities and on roadways downwind. Pay attention to changing conditions as winds increase and shift throughout the day. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (1650 Cowles Street) has clean-air rooms available for people impacted by smoke open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find information on how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke at the Smoke Management page on https://akfireinfo.com/smoke-management/.

Evacuation Notices:  A Level 2: SET evacuation notice is in effect for the approximately 20 cabins near the fire’s southeastern edge, west of the Tanana River. The 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:  New temporary flight restrictions were put in place on Monday morning; for more information, see: 4/6081 NOTAM Details (faa.gov).

-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.