It’s time for Page Two: News that might not make the front page for Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
Skiers and winter enthusiasts are looking forward to the Thanksgiving weekend and hoping for more snow. But there’s another reason to wish for a strong snowpack: wildfire.
Fire seasons in Alaska are starting earlier, lasting longer, and burning more intensely. In an interview with Big Cabbage Radio, Kenni Psenak of the Wildfire Resilience Initiative at the Alaska Venture Fund said wildfire is no longer a seasonal event. It is now a year-round concern.
Alaska already sees more than one million acres burned annually. For example, the Bristol Bay area has seen a 76-fold increase in fires in the last 20 years. In the 2022 fire season, more acreage burned than had in 72 years.
Even during the winter months, wildfire preparation continues. Low snowpack creates opportunities for prescribed burns. These burns reduce invasive grasses such as reed canary grass that add dangerous fuel for future wildfires.
Mat-Su is one of Alaska’s fastest-growing areas. The Mat-Su Borough’s core area is considered a critical protection zone. The Department of Labor projects a 27 percent population increase between 2021 and 2035. That growth pushes development deeper into the wildland-urban interface, increasing fire risk.
The Mat-Su Borough offers Firewise home hardening assessments to help with the increased wildfire risks. Residents can schedule a free home assessment online through the Emergency Services Department.
The borough’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan is available online. It outlines fuel reduction goals including cutting, chipping, and firebreak construction on at least 400 acres.
In the Mat-Su, wildfire readiness starts early—even in the classroom.
The Mat-Su Borough School District offers a Natural Resources Pathway through Mat-Su Career and Technical High School. Instructor Jeff McPhetridge leads the Wildland Firefighting program. Students take courses in forestry; forest health and protection; wilderness first aid; and fire behavior.
Palmer plays a key role in Alaska’s fire defense. The Department of Forestry’s air base and several hotshot crews are based out of Palmer. Yet, the state still faces a resource deficit. Despite its size, Psenak said Alaska receives just 4 percent of federal fire response funding. Fewer than 800 wildland firefighters serve the entire state, including 219 in Mat-Su.
Hear more from Kenni Psenak and Alaska’s changing fire environment on Valley Edition, Friday at 5 p.m., repeating Saturday at noon.
The holiday shopping spirit starts Saturday at the Christmas Bazaar you’ve been waiting for from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Colony High School. Find unique gifts at this annual local food and craft fair with over 100 vendors. Admission is free.
There’s also the Spring Street Boutique’s Merry Market on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Valley Annex in Palmer. Shop 15 to 20 local vendors for handmade gifts, boutique clothing, holiday décor and more. Admission is free.
And don’t forget the 4th Annual Roland Roberts Band Christmas Jam is happening Saturday night at the MTA Events Center! Catch live music from the Roland Roberts Band, The Jephries, Good Company, and more from 8 to 11 p.m. Palmer Ale House is providing beverages.
Aside from great music, the extra special gift is that all proceeds go to the Special Santa Program. Tickets are $28.52 at Eventbrite.
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Page Two articles are written by Emily Forstner, Lee Henrikson and David Cheezem. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.