Military Report: BLM partners with Army to prepare for fire season [Video]

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – The Alaska Fire Service (AFS), managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), will begin prescribed burns to reduce the risk of wildfires in the summer.

From explosives to tracer rounds and of course lightning, military training areas are at increased risk of seeing a wildfire due to the vast amount of flammable materials and explosives utilized in training. Due to that increased risk and the danger it poses to surrounding communities, the Army has a partnership with the BLM to help reduce that risk.

“We have an agreement with U.S. Army Garrison at Ft. Wainwright to burn military training areas … that the military will be doing live fire exercises on,” said Beth Ipsen, a public information officer with the AFS.

Fire season officially began on April 1, and the BLM plans to begin annual prescribed burn operations on Sunday, April 14. Their agreement with …