Alaska BLM to burn debris piles on military land in Interior

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - Starting Sunday, October 8, the Bureau and Land Management, along with U.S. Army Garrison Alaska is scheduled to start burning piles of wood debris on military training lands in the Interior.

The debris being burned was gathered over the last few years in an effort to reduce fuel for wildfires.

The burning, which tends to happen every spring and fall, is taking place this season at multiple sites on Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely, as well as one spot on Eielson Air Force Base.

Because of these locations, the smoke from the effort may not be seen by the passing public.

However, if smoke does become visible to those outside base, the public is advised not to worry, as there is much safety precaution involved, including firefighters on scene.

Depending on the weather, the effort could last until October 31.

According to Beth Ipsen, spokesperson with the BLM Alaska Fire Service, “A lot of times we have to make sure that the winds, that we don’t have a significant breeze, or if it’s blowing the wrong way and blows the smoke into the community. We definitely want to not have that smoke impact communities, and it’s really just dependent on the weather. So we give ourself a window and then we take it day by day. We talk with the National Weather Service. We also coordinate with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation just to make sure that the conditions are right for burning.”

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