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Assembly reviews ordinance to make unauthorized fires a misdemeanor during wildfire season
Summary
The Anchorage Assembly on May 16, 2025, considered AO 2025-61, which would expand criminal penalties for unauthorized fires during the municipality's April'August fire season.
The Anchorage Assembly on May 16, 2025, considered AO 2025-61, an ordinance that would amend Anchorage Municipal Code sections 8.20.030 and 8.20.035 to expand criminal liability for unauthorized fires during the municipality's state-defined fire season, April through August.
Municipal Attorney Eva Gardner said the ordinance "in a nutshell, expands criminal liability for unsafe fires," aiming to "reduce fire danger, improve public safety, really deter people" and focus enforcement on high-risk seasons and locations. The draft would make it a misdemeanor to build a fire on someone else's property without permission during fire season, criminalize violating a burn ban issued by the fire chief, and bar fires on public streets and sidewalks year-round.
Supporters and agency staff described how the proposal would change enforcement. Municipal Prosecutor Dennis Wheeler said penalties could include jail…
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