The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) has issued a Public Order declaring an early start to fire season in DOF’s Coastal Region, which includes much of Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. The State Forester has determined that weather conditions, including warm temperatures and low snowpack across specific areas of Alaska, raise the risk of wildland fire ahead of the statutorily designated fire season, which typically starts Apr. 1.
The order goes into effect on Monday, Mar. 17, at 12:00 am.
“We typically see these kinds of conditions in May, sometimes in mid to late April, and these really fine, dry, dead fuels that get exposed after the snow melts off. They’re very flammable. Because they’re so fine, they only take a little bit to dry out in the sun, and they can just spread fire really quickly,” said Division of Forestry Public Information Officer Lily Coyle.
Coyle says it’s common for people to mismanage the burn of dead grass, leaves, and sticks from their yards in the spring. “They try to burn those off [and] if they don’t do it correctly, like if they don’t have mineral soil around it, or a wet line around it to, you know, contain that burn. These fires can catch in the dried grass and spread really rapidly.”
Areas of heightened wildfire danger include:
- Copper River-Valdez DOF protection area,
- Mat-Su DOF protection area,
- Kenai-Kodiak DOF protection area,
- McGrath-Southwest DOF protection area and
- All of Southeast Alaska
Increased risk of wildland fire in these areas warrants an early declaration of wildland fire season beginning on Mar. 17. Burn permits are required for these areas at all times during the fire season. Under Alaska Statute AS 41.15.010 Permits, this order applies to all state, private, and municipal lands within the region (see map). Areas not specified in this order are not subject to this early fire season designation.
