CCFR – Page 2 – City and Borough of Juneau

Juneau under fire weather watch

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Juneau and surrounding areas due to persistent warm and dry weather. Open burning is not recommended at this time; however, a suspension is not yet in effect. A burn ban will be put into place if the watch escalates to a red flag warning.

In especially warm and dry conditions, fires in lightweight fuels such as grass and brush can spread very quickly, especially up hill.

Risk will decrease as humidity increases and when rain resumes.

For more information, visit the National Weather Service.

June 1st, 2022|

Santa Claus is coming to Juneau Dec. 17 & 18

Santa Claus is coming to town! Capital City Fire/Rescue, along with Alaska State Firefighters Association – Juneau Chapter, Juneau Firefighters Local 4303, and Douglas Fire Association, look forward to bringing some holiday cheer to the Juneau community with the annual Santa Rides event. Santa will be riding through the Mendenhall Valley on Friday, December 17; Downtown Juneau and Douglas on Saturday, December 18; and a Santa visit in Lemon Creek on Saturday, December 18:

On Friday, December 17, at 6 p.m. Santa will begin his Mendenhall Valley route at Glacier Valley Elementary School and end at Glacier Valley Church of God.
On Saturday, December 18, at 4 p.m. Santa will visit Gruening Park in Lemon Creek.
On Saturday, December 18, at 6 p.m. Santa will begin his Downtown and Douglas route at Mount Roberts Tramway and end at Douglas Fire Station.

During the Santa events, please maintain 6 feet from those outside your bubble and wear masks when social distancing is not possible.

For the safety of first responders and their families participating in Santa Rides, community members should refrain from hugging Santa or Mrs. Claus this year. Waves and smiles are encouraged. And the holiday spirit would not be complete without candy canes; all candy canes will be individually wrapped and distributed by volunteers in masks and gloves.

For more information on this event, including routes, go to asfajuneau.org/santa-rides or this flier.

December 1st, 2021|

Open Burn season closes Friday, Oct. 1, in Mendenhall Valley & Lemon Creek

From October 1 through April 30, all open burning is prohibited in the Mendenhall Valley and Lemon Creek areas. This is the area between Vanderbilt Hill Road and Fritz Cove Road.

Open burning, which is not allowed in those areas starting Friday, includes the use of burn barrels, the burning of debris piles, and any other outdoor burning activity. Cooking, warming, or signaling fires that are less than three feet in diameter with flame lengths no more than two feet high are still allowed. Commercially manufactured outdoor cooking and heating devices with built-in open flame safety devices are also allowed.

The purpose for the open burn season closure during the winter months is due to the possibility of an air inversion, which is intensified by the natural “bowl” shape of the Mendenhall Valley. On windless, winter days, normal atmospheric conditions can become inverted: a layer of warm air prevents cold air from escaping and acts like a lid, trapping wood smoke and other pollutants in the Valley’s air. This can cause health concerns for people with difficulty breathing, as well as reduced visibility and overall odor complaints.

Areas outside the area between Vanderbilt Hill Road and Fritz Cove Road are allowed to have open burning, though you must have a current and valid open burn permit.

For more information, contact Capital City Fire/Rescue at 586-5322.

September 30th, 2021|

Flood warning for the Taku River in effect through Sunday, July 4

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Taku River until 2 p.m. Sunday, July 4 due to glacier-dammed lake outburst and snowmelt. Record flooding is expected on the Taku River with the highest river levels about 46 feet on Thursday, July 1, exceeding the record event in 2004 when some structures were severely damaged.

People traveling in the area should use extreme caution as there will be increased trees and ice coming down the river, and cold water temperatures can increase the threat of hypothermia. Capital City Fire/Rescue is working with the Alaska State Troopers and the National Weather Service to ensure a swift emergency response is available if needed.

For more information, go to weather.gov/juneau or follow the National Weather Service Juneau Office on Facebook or Twitter.

June 29th, 2021|

Open burning season in Lemon Creek & Valley starts May 1

Capital City Fire/Rescue wants to remind everyone that open burning season is not yet open in the Mendenhall Valley and Lemon Creek areas. Burning season will begin on May 1. The boundaries of this area are Vanderbilt Hill Road in the south and Fritz Cove road in the north. Everything in between those boundaries is in the no burn zone for this time of year.

What is allowed is the gathering and collection of brush or natural yard debris around your homes to be kept under a tarp or covering until open burn season is truly opened.

After May 1, a residential open burn permit is required. Those are available here.

April 23rd, 2021|