Yukon-Charley Rivers to Burn Piles to Reduce Fire Risk

Date: August 5, 2011

FAIRBANKS - Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Fire Management staff will burn piles of woody debris from August 7, 2011 through August 14, 2011. The piles are located at several sensitive sites across the preserve. The sites include Ben Creek Complex, Gelvin’s Cabin, Coal Creek Dredge, Cheese Camp, Fourth of July Creek Cabin, Charlie Edward’s Cabin/Woodruff’s Cabin, Ricketts/Trainor Cabin, and Wilson’s Washington Creek Cabin. Fire staff will ignite the piles in the morning and monitor them throughout the day. Air traffic in the area may see smoke. In June of 2009, National Park Service fire staff began thinning vegetation and creating defensible space around these sites in order to reduce the wildfire risk and better provide for firefighter and public safety in the event of a wildfire. Burning the debris piles is the last step before completing several successful Firewise projects.

Is your home surrounded by thick boreal forest? Become Firewise and reduce the wildfire risk. Learn more at http://forestry.alaska.gov/pdfs/firewise09.pdf

Visit http://www.nps.gov/yuch/parkmgmt/firemanagement.htm for information about Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Wildland Fire Management Program.

For additional information, contact Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Fire Management Officer James Savage at 907.455.0650.