The Fairbanks Fire Department is on track to respond to a record number of calls this year. According to Fairbanks Firefighters Union President, Nick Clark, the department receives 19 calls a day on average which is around 17,000 calls a year.
UPDATE: Alaska State Troopers and State Fire Marshals arrested 17-year-old Jamison Gallion on Thursday for a string of arsons in the communities of Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley outside of Fairbanks. Troopers said the 17-year-old is charged with burning down multiple structures on Chena Hot Springs Road since May 2021.
The popular Two Rivers Lodge at mile 16 Chena Hot Springs Road burned to the ground early Monday morning. Fire departments did not respond to the fire because the building was outside of the fire service area.
Less than 24 hours after a fire suspected to be arson destroyed a vacant commercial building near mile-10 of Chena Hot Springs Road, a second building was burned. Firefighters from the North Star Volunteer Fire Department responded to a residential building burning near mile-12 of Chena Hot Springs Road just after midnight on Thursday morning. The building was unoccupied and destroyed in the fire.
Alaska State Troopers and State Fire Marshals responded to the fire to conduct an investigation. The deputy fire marshal determined the fire was incendiary and are investigating it as an arson.
According to Alaska State Troopers a fire in the community of Two River/Pleasant Valley over the weekend has been determined to be an arson. Grange Hall on Grange Hall Road burned to the ground in the early morning hours of Saturday.
The Fairbanks Airport Police and Fire Department has a new chief. Roger Stevener took over as chief earlier this month after serving as the deputy chief since 2018. He has been with the department since 2008.
The Alaska Division of Nature Resources (DNR) - Division of Forestry (DOF) is currently responding to an estimated 5-acre wildfire near Weston Drive and Yankovich Road in west Fairbanks.
Just east of Fairbanks, Alaska are the communities of Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley. Over the last few months, life has been anything but pleasant for residents of the area as a serial arsonist has tormented them. The Alaska State Troopers have identified five fires as arsons and are investigating others. Just this weekend there were two fires in the community.
After a period of cooler weather, temperatures have risen again in the interior, causing the Munson Creek Fire outside of Fairbanks to grow more active. The fire, burning at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road is currently estimated at nearly 37,000 acres.
Headquartered at Fort Wainwright, the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center allocates resources from around the state to ensure that those fighting wildland fires have the tools they need to protect lives and property.
The Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks is offering a free place to stay, as well as food for employees and guests of Chena Hot Springs resort while a level three "go" evacuation is in effect.
As of Tuesday afternoon no structures had been damaged or destroyed due to fire and both guests and employees of the resort to KTVF that they felt safe and free to leave at any point.
The city of Nenana, around 50 miles south of Fairbanks just got two of the newest ambulances in the state. The Nenana Volunteer Fire/EMS Department was able to purchase the vehicles with a State and Federal granted funded by COVID-19 aid money.
