BLM fire restrictions aim to protect people and property in high risk areas

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - For the last six years, fire prevention orders from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have protected high risk areas from human caused fires. The agency however hopes to impose a more permanent solution in the future.

The BLM imposed fire restriction has for the last six years, banned campfires, fireworks and explosives on federal lands in a black spruce forest near Fox, and the area surrounding a facility owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, commonly referred to as NOAA. The NOAA facility is located on the Steese Highway off of Gilmore Creek.

Both areas are considered high risk for multiple reasons. Reasons include dense black spruce forests, residential properties, limited fire response access, and the high cost equipment at NOAA’s facility. “When you add that all together, it creates a high risk situation even in normal fire years,” said Tim Hammond, a field manager for the BLM’s Eastern Interior Field Office.

Prior to the use of fire prevention orders, the occupants in both locations complained about the high risk of fire, most of which can be decreased by restricting human fire activities. “There is a fair amount of activity,” said Hammond. “We have law enforcement officers that travel through the area and contact people.” The law enforcement presence along with information provided by residents and frequent visitors has led to a decrease of incidents since the restrictions were imposed.

Despite the progress, the area is still considered to be at high risk and BLM would like to do more to prevent future incidents. “We’d like to make those restrictions permanent up there,” Hammond said. Doing so however would be costly and at this point in time, the BLM cannot meet the high cost of enacting a permanent fire prevention order. “Until we have the resources to do that we’ll probably continue to issue this annual restriction each year,” said Hammond.

One benefit of having a permanent restriction would be an increase of available fire suppression resources that can be utilized at other fires.

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