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Division of Forestry Fire and Aviation Program
The goal of the Division of Forestry Fire and Aviation Program
is to provide safe, cost-effective, and efficient fire protection
services and related fire and aviation management activities
to protect natural surface resources, man-made improvements,
and human life on State, private, and municipal lands commensurate
with the values at risk.
Interagency Effort
Fire management planning, preparedness, suppression operations,
prescribed fire, and related activities are coordinated on an
interagency basis with the full involvement of DOF and its state,
federal and local government cooperators.
Fire management planning, preparedness, suppression operations,
prescribed fire, and related activities will be coordinated on
an interagency basis with the full involvement of DOF and its
state, federal and local government cooperators.
The Division of Forestry, Bureau
of Land Management, and the U.S.
Forest Service, fight fires within their protection areas
on all land ownerships which reduces the duplication of facilities
and services. None of the agencies in Alaska have all of the
resources required to accomplish the fire protection job on
their own. The Division of Forestry has cooperative agreements
with the Departments of Agriculture and Interior, and numerous
local government and volunteer fire departments to help get
the job done. The state and federal agencies routinely utilize
each other's personnel and resources to both manage and fight
fires. This is efficient and cost effective.
In 1984 the State of Alaska adopted the National Interagency
Incident Management System Incident Command System concept for
managing its fire suppression program. The Incident Command System
guiding principles are followed in all wildland fire management
operations. All state Departments adopted the Incident Command
System in 1996 through the Governor's administrative order.
Preparedness
"In order to be ready when needed, you must also
be ready when not needed."
Preparedness is one of the most important aspects of the Division's
Fire & Aviation Program. Division of Forestry's fire managers
are responsible for providing a safe, cost-effective fire management
program through appropriate planning, staffing, training, and
equipment levels. No one can predict exactly where or when fires
will occur, but there will be wildland fires. Firefighters, equipment,
facilities, and all the support elements it takes must be ready
before a wildland fire starts. Preparedness reduces the risk
of escaped fires and saves the state money.
Preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Fire Suppression Operations
A successful initial attack can save the state millions of
dollars in suppression costs. A trained, experienced, and well-equipped
workforce is essential to locate and initial attack wildland
fires while they are small. The cost of a successful initial
attack averages $4 thousand dollars per fire compared to costly "project" fires
that can cost from $3 million to $30 million dollars to suppress.
One of the Division of Forestry's top priorities is the aggressive
and effective initial attack of wildland fires in the full and
critical protection areas of the state.
Suppression activities for wildland fires are governed by the
implementation of the Fire Plan that
in most cases has predetermined the level of response to a given
fire. Sound and proven fire management principles stressing safe,
cost-effective, and efficient response to all wildland fires
are followed by the Division of Forestry.
Seasonal employees are the backbone of the fire suppression
program. They are an experienced and qualified work force, many
of who have worked for Forestry 10-15 years. Their expertise
provides the basis for the Division of Forestry's ability to
expand from a few dozen employees to over a thousand within a
day or two and be effectively fighting fires immediately.
In addition to its permanent seasonal workforce, the Division
relies heavily on Emergency Firefighters. Emergency
firefighters are hired on an as-needed, short-term basis,
and are utilized to augment the Division's workforce in all areas
of the firefighting job. Individual Emergency Firefighters are
hired to function as initial attack firefighters, warehouse workers,
aviation ramp workers, etc.
Pioneer Peak Wildfire Suppression Crew
Aviation Program
The Division of Forestry provides fire protection services
on 150 million acres of land, and much of it is remote and inaccessible,
requiring the use of airplanes and
helicopters. The Division contracts the majority of its aircraft
resources from the private sector, and manages and operates a
combination of air tankers, helicopters, and miscellaneous fixed
wing aircraft to deliver firefighters, mobilize emergency firefighters,
move equipment and supplies, and drop fire retardant on fires.
Close coordination between the state and federal agencies maximizes
the use of aviation resources. Cooperative state and federal
aviation management saves money.
FireWise
The Division of Forestry is actively promoting the FireWise
concept in Alaska (PDF). FireWise is
an educational program aimed at homeowners, land developers,
zoning officials, and other groups with the goal of developing
homes, subdivisions, and communities with the threat of wildland
fire taken into consideration. The goal is to have homes, subdivisions,
and communities built that will survive wildland fires in the
future.
Burn Permits
In some areas of the state, Division of Forestry burn permits are required for
all burning other than fires contained within an approved device, and fires used for signaling, cooking or warming.
When required, you must have a current, activated burn permit during fire season (April 1st through August 31st each year
or as defined by public order).
All burn permits and burn barrels are subject to burn restrictions, suspensions, and closures during periods
of high fire danger or other dangerous conditions. Penalities may apply for unsafe burning or negligence.
(See AS 41.15.010-41.15-170 and 11 AAC 95.400-95.495) for additional information.
For more information on burn permits in your local area, contact the Division of Forestry office nearest you, or go to our
burn permit web page.
Municipal authorities may have additional regulations regarding burning.
If you intend to burn in an incorporated city, please contact the local fire department regarding permit
requirements before doing any burning.
Wildland Fire and Aviation Basics
For a more in-depth view of the Division of Forestry's Fire
and Aviation Program, read the Wildland
Fire and Aviation Basics (PDF) booklet.
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