VIDEO: A trio of firefighters tasked with battling a large wildfire in Interior Alaska were injured Friday morning in a boating incident, state officials said. A post by the Bureau of Land Management reported that three firefighters were taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment after a boating “incident” on the Salcha River. The crew was working to contain the Ninetyeight Fire, which is currently burning almost 50 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The blaze has been burning since it was first discovered on June 19, and was last reported to be roughly 15,610 acres in size as of Thursday, after previously merging with the Brigadier Fire, which was also burning nearby. BLM officials said more information on the boating incident would be available at a later time, and the cause is being investigated. The Ninetyeight Fire currently has 100 personnel assigned to contain it, according to BLM officials.
