Two brush fires near the Kenai Spur Highway yesterday demonstrated the significant amount of fire fuel available.
Bud Sexton with Nikiski Fire Department said yesterday’s vehicle fire which shortly shut down the Kenai Spur Highway started one.
Sexton: “He heard a loud noise and as he looked in the rear view mirror he noticed there were flames coming out on the side of his vehicle, so he pulled on over and the gas tank looked like it might have dropped sometime after he pulled over. Flames and gasoline leaked and caught some of the brush on fire nearby and totally consumed about a 20 by 20 area.”
Kenai Fire Chief Jeff Tucker said crews responded yesterday afternoon to a different fire along the side of the Spur Highway which was likely caused by a cigarette.
Tucker: “The rain slash snow we’ve been having over the last few days, have really dampened those fire conditions, the fire conditions are low but as soon as it starts drying out and getting nice like it is today, we’re going to get back into dry conditions and all those dry dead grasses are going to be ripe again for the spread of fires, so we really just like to caution people of what they are doing.”
Debris burning permits are now required and both Sexton and Tucker warned that this fire season is forecast to be busy.
