Fire plays a vital role in boreal forest ecology. As the Doyon Region is primarily a boreal forest, the region is heavily prone to wildfires. Doyon is tasked with management and oversight in coordination with the Alaska Fire Service (AFS) to address fire and fire mitigation on its lands.
Since 2020, 4.7 million acres have burned in Alaska, 3.1 million of which were in the Doyon Region.
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act mandates the Alaska Fire Service to protect certain Alaska Native Corporation lands from fire. Doyon works closely with the fire service to ensure that the people, lands, and cultural resources receive the protection they need. The Doyon Lands and Natural Resources Department staff stay in contact with the fire service year-round to ensure effective coordination.
Wildland fire response is an interagency effort that relies on cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities. The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center (AICC) determines what kind of response each fire receives. Their main priority is protecting people and their homes. The official response categories are critical, full, modified, or limited. Doyon reviews fire response options throughout the region and will request adjustments when necessary. The most recent change was to expand fire protection around Rampart. To view the AICC Wildland Fire Information Map, click here.
WHY IS FIRE IMPORTANT TO THE ECOSYSTEM?
Fire is an important part of the ecosystem in Interior Alaska. The boreal forest depends on fire to help regenerate plant growth, creating new habitat for animals. Black spruce is highly flammable – their seed cones won’t release until a fire comes through. Once an area has burned, the first plants to come back are fireweed and grasses, then willow and alders. This creates new habitat for moose and other small mammals. Over the decades, spruce will come to dominate the forest, and the cycle starts anew. Oftentimes, fires will burn irregularly in an area, creating a mosaic of forest types. This mosaicking promotes biodiversity – multiple species can be supported in a much smaller area.
WHAT IS DOYON DOING?
In January, Doyon met with representatives from the Alaska Fire Service and other fire management agencies to discuss the post-2024 fire season. This is an opportunity to provide feedback on what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve before the start of the 2025 fire season. During this meeting, Doyon shared upcoming project plans with these agencies. In case of a fire, the fire service will already know when and where projects and staff are, allowing for quick communication during an emergency. Doyon also shares contacts for each village to ensure that they are able to be consulted when their community is threatened.
During fire season, Doyon staff are on call 24/7 to respond to the Alaska Fire Service and help facilitate communication between the fire service and village corporations and tribes. This can involve informing the fire management officer of dates for village events, such as the Gwich’in Gathering in Circle or Denakkanaaga in Galena.
Doyon also collaborates with the Alaska Fire Service to provide information to shareholders through our newsletter, radio show, and website. If you have any questions, please contact the Lands and Natural Resources Department at 907-459-2030 or Beth Ipsen at the Alaska Fire Service. If you’d like to learn more about Alaska’s changing wildfire landscape, please see this publication.
