Fairbanks

Can Fighting Arctic Fires Keep Frozen Carbon Locked Away?

Fairbanks – October 19, 2026 -- Researchers in the US and Canada are studying whether detecting and putting out remote Arctic fires faster could keep permafrost carbon in the ground. Woodwell Climate Research Center, the University of Victoria's Polis Institute for Ecological Governance and the nonprofit Alaska Venture Fund are now partnering on a multimillion-dollar initiative called North Fire to study these interventions and raise public awareness of them.

A metal probe shows how fast thaw follows a fire

Near Fairbanks, scientists from the Alaska Fire Science Consortium used a T-shaped thaw probe at the site of the 2021 Yankovich Road Fire. Outside the burn scar, the probe hit frozen ground about a foot down. Where the fire had burned off the insulating moss and topsoil, it sank at least three times deeper.

Alaska Gear's New Deck Boot Is Rated to -45°F for $199

Anchorage – October 12, 2026 -- Alaska Gear Company (AKGC) has released the Ankle Deck Boot VBX, a $199 (plus tax) ankle-height boot that the company says is the first deck boot built with sealed vapor barrier insulation. It is available now at AKGC's Anchorage and Fairbanks stores and on the company's website.

The boot is rated to an average of -45°F in lab testing

The boot uses AKGC's proprietary Vapor Barrier X (VBX) technology, the same insulation system found in the company's Bunny Boots. A rubber outer shell seals out water and snow, while a wool insulation layer holds in heat. The -45°F figure is an average ArCLO rating based on lab testing, and AKGC calls it the warmest and most capable ankle deck boot available.