Fire agencies across Alaska are encouraging those out over the fourth of July weekend to exercise extreme fire caution.
Soldotna Fire Marshall Wes Perkins reiterated what this week’s partial lift of the statewide burn ban meant.
Perkins: “Basically it clears people to where they can burn a campfire or a charcoal fire for cooking or warming. It does not list and burn barrels or slash pile burning or anything bigger than that.”
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, including Skilak Lake Road and surrounding camping and recreation areas, are still under a full open burn ban.
Perkins requested that anyone legally using campfires and or charcoal grills over the weekend to consider…
Perkins: “Always have water or a water hose on hand or at least a couple buckets of water if you’re not close to a water source, don’t leave the fire unattended, don’t go to bed unless the fire is completely out. Just common sense things that 99% of the population does but the 1% that doesn’t could cause the fire to spread and then we have another runaway fire. So we’re just asking people to use good sense when they’re burning.”
Just today the Kenai Fire Department responded to a wildfire which was quickly contained however demonstrated how flammable conditions still are.