Copyright 2006 Anchorage Daily News
All Rights Reserved
By KATIE PESZNECKER
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)
State forestry and Matanuska-Susitna Borough firefighters were battling an estimated 19-acre blaze near Mile 10 of Knik-Goose Bay Road Monday evening, a vivid illustration of why state officials have suspended burn permits and banned all open burning in much of Southcentral, at least through this evening .
On the Kenai Peninsula, firefighters were tackling a 25-acre fire about 2.5 miles past the Kasilof bridge. About 100 buildings were reported to be close to the fire. Officials identified Tustumena School as a voluntary evacuation site.
The Southcentral burning ban will probably be extended through the holiday weekend, officials said.
Anchorage and Mat-Su are drier than normal for late spring, and dueling pressure systems are churning up winds peaking around 25 miles per hour. Big fires — either open burns or ones contained in things like burn barrels — are too risky right now, said Glen Holt, spokesman for the Mat-Su area Division of Forestry.
In fact, natural conditions are similar to those of June 4, 1996, when the Miller’s Reach Fire sparked and gnawed through 37,000 acres near Big Lake and Houston, destroying some 400 structures.
“That’s why we decided we’re going to be conservative,” Holt said. “We realize that’s a burden on certain contractors and people with work to do. But we’re getting a lot of escaped burn barrels and trash fires. You couple that with things that just ignite easily, and you have to do something to protect the public.”
Monday’s Knik-Goose Bay fire was located south of Wasilla, off Knik Knack Mud Shack Road. One home was threatened, Holt said. The fire spread from four to ten acres over the course of half an hour, said a Matanuska-Susitna Borough officia. Helicopters dumped water on the fire and an air tanker dropped retardent.
The ban on open burning came after the Alaska Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Mat-Su and Anchorage, good through at least 10 p.m. tonight.
Campfires are still OK, Holt said. “If you’re going camping, heck yeah, have a blast — but be careful,” he added.
Officials won’t be fooled by people keeping hot dogs handy while burning debris or foliage under the pretense it’s a cooking fire, Holt said. They’re taking a hard stance because conditions are so ripe for disaster.
Recent fires sparked by open burns have damaged private structures, a pickup, even a commercial fishing boat that was ignited by errant embers from a nearby burn barrel.
Anchorage rain levels aren’t drastically below average. April saw nearly a half-inch of rain, just shy of normal; May has about three-quarters of its normal 0.44 inches of rain to date.
But half of that May rainfall came during one day, May 3. And trees, grass and other vegetation just aren’t greening normally for this late in spring, Holt said.
“In another week, we get some more green-up, maybe a little moisture, but for right now, we’re suspending open burn permits and open burning.”