Division of Forestry firefighters continue to chase down campfire reports despite a nearly state-wide burn ban that remains in effect.
Over the weekend there were 152 new fires reported in Alaska.
Although lightning was a cause for a majority of those, 17 of the 67 new fires reported to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center on Saturday were human caused.
The Division of Forestry wishes to remind folks a burn closure remains in effect on state, private, and municipal lands throughout Alaska.
Burning is currently prohibited on the Kenai Peninsula, Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Tanana Valley, Copper River Valley and western Alaska. The state closure covers Game Management Units 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24 and 25.
The state burn closure pertains to all open burning, including campfires, burn barrels, debris burning and charcoal grills, even in established fire rings or grills.
Gas grills and backpacking or camps stoves that use fuel or compressed canisters that can be regulated and shut off are still permitted for use.
As of Monday morning, there were 186 active fires burning in the state.
Given the high number of fires and the personnel assigned to those fires, the state’s firefighting resources are becoming very limited, forcing fire managers to prioritize resources. Responding to human-caused fires only exacerbates an already serious situation.
The burn closure will remain in effect until further notice and the public will be notified when it is lifted. It will take a substantial rainfall to ease the high fire danger conditions across the state and that has not happened yet.