After a record-breaking winter snowfalls Alaska is now preparing for beginning of the summer wildfire season. The majority of Alaska has between 2 and 5 inches of snow covering the ground, yet experts warn that this won’t bring a quiet fire season.
Alison York, coordinator for the Alaska Fire Science Consortium, said that while heavy snowfall can delay the start of this season won’t influence the intensity of fires.
“None at all,” she said. “There is no relationship between snowpacks, especially at a state-wide level and the subsequent fire season intensity.”
York explained that the primary fuel used during Alaska fires are plant debris referred to as “duff.” Duff does not hold moisture from snow.
“The material that is thrown away from the forest, and the moss and lichen as well as the small surfaces plants … after they’ve died,, they don’t break down rapidly since the soils cool,” York said. “That material can cause fire. It can also dry extremely quickly.”
The climate has accelerated in recent years, the melting of snow tends to occur earlier, and the fall snowfall is likely to be later. The fire season in Alaska is becoming longer.
“I think the point at which we began to see major changes was during the time of the early and mid 2000s. Every year, we’ve had to face a lot of challenges,” said Norm McDonald the Director of Fire and Aviation for the state Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.
2004 is the most devastating year for fires in Alaska with over 6.6 million acres -which is similar to Vermont — being destroyed. The year before was the seventh-worst one, having 3.1 million acres destroyed in just six weeks.
The fires are also spreading across the state.
“It’s expanding into areas which may have seen a small burning in past but now we’re seeing an enormous fire burden,” York said. “For instance, what took place within Southwest Alaska last summer. And I believe there’s always been a history of fires in Kenai Peninsula.” Kenai Peninsula, but it seems that it’s getting more frequent.”
The summer before, Southwest Alaska saw its two largest ever fires in the tundra including that of the East Fork Fire and Apoon Pass Fire. This year, the Bureau of Land Management again warned of the risk of fire in the early season to be high for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta due to low snow levels.
As the demand for firefighters across the country increases, hiring becomes an issue. Alaska’s fire season starts later than the states of Western Lower 48, which can aid in availability, however fire seasons all over the world are expanding and are overlapping.
“That’s an aspect of issues that we all face,” said McDonald. “With more fires in the landscape, and more demands for resources, it’s a very limited resource pool. Therefore, deciding the best place to put those resources and what the most important fires are throughout the country is a problem.”
Each of the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service are home to a couple of hundred firefighters and support personnel. When the weather is particularly extreme, they could request emergency firefighters, a lot are in rural towns. You can also ask for more personnel from the lower 48 or Canada.
“Every year we are struggling to find the right people to fill our positions,” said Beth Ipsen spokesperson for the Alaska Fire Service. She explained that a retention incentive that will be paid out through the 2021 federal infrastructure bill has helped in staffing, however it is not enough. Fire Service is still hiring support personnel.
BLM as well as The state Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and the U.S. Forest Service work each year in concert to fight fires across Alaska. Ipsen stated that they’re wrapping their training and hope to be able to get the first crew ready next week.
Ipsen stated that an increase in fire danger calls for new approaches.
“Fire management is changing. We’ve added more people to focus on management of fuels, as well as helping communities to become more resilient against wildfires.”
Ipsen stated that before the the fire season begins in full swing, it’s crucial for homeowners to remove dead vegetation off their property, clean out the gutters, and remove firewood stacks from their homes to lessen the possibility of damage, and make it easier and safer for firefighters to tackle any fire that could be a possibility.
“Just because we’re seeing lots of snow falling isn’t a reason to alter the entire fire season. That’s why it’s vital for property owners to be aware of their property and to do that.”
