Controlled burn to heat up spring break

Submitted by Carla Browning
Phone: (907) 474-7778
03/07/06

University firefighters have plans for a hot spring break, but won’t be leaving the Fairbanks campus to find it. They’ll have a chance to practice their firefighting skills as part of controlled burns scheduled to take place March 16, 18 and 19. The University Fire Department plans to burn three old houses on campus, two of which will be used for a live fire-training exercise.

An unoccupied, single-family, 1,800-square-foot residence located at 717 Chandalar Drive will be the first to go Thursday, March 16. It was built in 1962. The oldest building, a 2,700-square-foot, single-family home built in 1956, is located at 711 Colville Street, near the Chancellor’s Residence. It will be burned Saturday, March 18. The two buildings will be part of a live fire exercise to train both university firefighters and those from other area fire departments. The third house, located on Chatanika Drive, has already been partly demolished inside and will not be used for training. It will be burned Sunday, March 19.

Due to their poor condition, maintaining or salvaging the buildings is not cost efficient.

The fire department planned the controlled burn during spring break to minimize effects to the campus community. Traffic near the fires will be limited to neighborhood residents. Firefighters will be available to answer questions about the controlled burns during a town meeting at the fire department Thursday, March 9 from 7-8 p.m.

Contact: UAF Public Information Officer Marmian Grimes at (907) 474-7902 or via e-mail at marmian.grimes@uaf.edu