Local firefighters to conduct exercise on UAF campus

Firefighters from multiple local fire agencies will be on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus on Friday, May 27 from noon - 4 p.m. for a wildland firefighting exercise.

The exercise will not involve any actual fire and will simulate an incident where a wildfire is threatening structures. About 10 fire vehicles and 30 fire personnel will be on campus for the exercise.

Most of the exercise activities will take place on the north side of campus. North Tanana Drive will be closed for the duration of the exercise from Kuskokwim Way, near Hess Village, to Sheenjek Drive, near the State Virology Lab. Toklat Way, which is behind the Reichardt Building, will also be closed, as will the parking lot north of the virology lab.

In addition to the closed roads, members of the public and campus community may notice increased activity in the area, including firefighters in wooded areas and near buildings, and multiple fire vehicles staged along the roads or in parking lots nearby. The exercise will also include a helicopter, which will be landing in Troth Yeddha' Park, which is the open grassy area west of the Reichardt Building. 

Members of the public should avoid the area, including trails and sidewalks near North Tanana Drive. 

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