July tours of Poker Flat Research Range canceled

Submitted by Geophysical Institute Information and Education Outreach Office
Phone: (907) 474-7558
07/14/04

Public tours of Poker Flat Research Range are canceled throughout the month of July. Fire crews continue to work on hot spots located on the upper-range and the surrounding area. For safety reasons, tours are suspended until further notice.

Poker Flat Research Range sustained minor damages on June 30 when the Boundary Fire swept through portions of the 5,132-acre site. A surveillance RADAR facility and two Connex storage containers were lost during the blaze.

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks owns and operates Poker Flat Research Range--the only non-federal, university-owned range in the world. It is located 30 miles north of Fairbanks, off the Steese Highway.

Contact: The Geophysical Institute Information and Education Outreach Office: (907) 474-7558.