State and Federal agencies, along with the City of Kenai and Soldotna campgrounds have determined it necessary to keep the open flame burn ban in efffect for the Kenai Peninsula.
Andy Alexandrou with the Division of Forestry said that they are still responding to various kinds of fires despite the ban.
Alexandrou: “They have been debris burns, unattended camp fires, abandoned camp fires, and it all hinges around folks not paying attention to the current burn closure and folks need to remember that, there’s a reason for that, that’s why everything is closed for burning right now, the only thing you can have is if it has a knob on it you can use it, that’s a gas grill.”
Kenai Fire Chief Jeff Tucker spoke about the ban Kenai instituted before Memorial Day weekend which was modeled after the federal burn ban.
Tucker: “So because of those conditions out there, the City of Kenai has decided to issue a burn ban which includes all opening burring which includes cooking fires, warming fires and the use of charcoal. If people want to cook out this weekend, you know use gas stoves, propane stoves, but we are just trying to prevent anymore fires in the area.”
Today the Kenai Fire Department stated that the ban will likely remain in affect until conditions improve.