Elliott Highway Reopens After Day of Extreme Fire Behavior on Globe Fire – Alaska Wildfire Information

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The section of Elliott Highway near the Globe Fire reopened late Thursday evening. Expect significant delays between mile markers 25 and 50 if fire activity increases as it did Thursday afternoon. Please exercise caution and patience, and use your lights to ensure the safety of firefighters and flaggers working in the area.

Check for road updates.

The fire exhibited extreme behavior at midday, burning through black spruce trees and crossing the road near mile marker 39. A large column of smoke collapsed at midday Thursday, creating air hot, smoke and ashes. The paratroopers initially withdrew for safety reasons, but returned to combat as soon as possible to protect people and property. The fire was estimated at 6,333 acres as of Thursday evening. Heavy smoke prevented ground or aerial surveys and made flying aircraft dangerous for firefighting efforts.

The fire has moved through the north side of Globe Creek Campground and the south side of a subdivision, leaving structures intact. The west side of the fire received some rain Thursday night, dampening the fire’s behavior enough that firefighters, Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities contract workers allowed a long line of motorists to pass through the area after a long wait.

The area where the fire has burned along the highway is small. The fire will likely continue to impact the highway as fire activity increases with warming weather later today. Firefighters, including firefighters from Lassen and Big Bear, California, are setting up protections for private property, native home gardens and a nearby campground. It is expected to remain mostly warm and dry in the coming days, with evening thunderstorms and erratic winds. There are 70 firefighters and support personnel assigned to the fire, including 19 parachutists, both parachutist firefighting teams and two Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection trucks.

To learn more about the Globe Fire, visit the website

For more information, call the Alaska Interagency Wildfire Information Office at (907) 356-5511.

-BLM-

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Department, PO Box 35005 1541 Gaffney Road, Fort Wainwright, Ak 99703

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The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (AFS), located in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, provides wildland fire suppression services on more than 240 million acres of Department of the Interior and Native Corporation lands in Alaska. In addition, the AFS has other statewide responsibilities, including: interpreting fire management policy; oversight of the BLM Alaska Aviation program; fuel management projects; and the operation and maintenance of advanced communications and computing systems such as the Alaska Lightning Detection System. AFS also maintains a national incident support cache with an inventory of 18.1 million. The Alaska Fire Department provides wildland fire suppression services for America's “Last Frontier” on an interagency basis with the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service USDA, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Alaska.

Categories: Active Wildfires, Alaska Fire Information, BLM Alaska Fire Service

Tags: Globe Fire, Grapefruit Complex