Wildfires

Pictured above is a photo I took of the McDonald Wildfire, located just 12 miles south of UAF.

Fairbanks, Alaska experiences very dry and surprisingly warm summers. These conditions make it very easy for wildfires to occur. Currently, the nearest wildfire to the University of Alaska Fairbanks is the McDonald Fire, which is approximately 12 miles away and still growing. Fire crews are coming in from many different areas of Alaska to work together in taming the McDonald fire. Due to the growing number of firefighters in the area, UAF Residence Life has agreed to house firefighters in the Stevens building on campus. 

To prepare for the firefighters staying with us on campus, we had to clean out the entire Stevens building, create a different "fire crew" check-in process, and prepare a large laundry bin full of clean towels. Typically, fire crews only stay one night. They take up most of the building, which we have to clean again before the next crew gets in later that night. Firefighters also have a different check-in process than typical guests. We ask that the Crew Chief calls residence life prior to their arrival to notify us of their planned stay, how many people they have on their team, and how long they plan on staying. Our team then prepares a box of room keys, assigning them rooms at random. Non-male-identifying firefighters are given a separate floor if they do not feel comfortable sleeping in the same room/floor as their team. 

As mentioned before, this is my very first time working in housing, and now I am working in housing during a semi-mild crisis situation. I have not felt stressed or confused though. I got to sit in on a meeting with the professional staff in residence life and we figured out this "Fire Crew" plan together. 

In addition to the McDonald fire, Denali National Park is experiencing a wildfire that has caused nearby resorts and campgrounds to evacuate, sending guests two hours north of the park to none other than Fairbanks, Alaska. The University of Alaska Fairbanks was contacted about possibly housing some of these evacuees. During the meeting I mentioned in the last paragraph with the pro-staff, we also established a plan in the event UAF does get evacuee guests. Once again we cleared out an entire building and supplied it with linens, but guests never came. I suppose it is better to be prepared than not at all though. 

I found this whole process to be interesting and it kept all of us on our toes. I got to sit in on some important meetings and assist the university during a crisis. Grand Rapids is not typically prone to wildfires, so this was certainly a new scenario to handle and I learned quite a bit.  Overall, I would say adaptability is a useful trait to have when working in residence life.