Central Emergency Services has responded to multiple small grass fires recently and are reminding Kenai Peninsula residents that it only takes one small fire to ignite an uncontrollable blaze.
CES Captain Terry Bookey says crews were called out Sunday just after 5 pm…
Bookey: “CES was called to the Scout Lake Public Access for a grass fire. Crews arrived and found a small creeping fire, spreading a little bit down the hill through some dry grass along the lake shore. Suppression was started with hand tools by the crews on scene, we were able to pull some hose line to it and were able to get it out pretty darn quickly.”
The Kenai Peninsula’s mild winter has left an abundance of dry fuels that are very flammable, much like the conditions leading up to 2014’s Funny River Fire and 2015’s Card Street Fire…
Bookey: ” It is dry out there and people need to be careful when they’re out there burning because it is really easy for these little fires to get away from people.”
The Division of Forestry requires Kenai Peninsula residents to obtain burn permits from April 1 through August 31. In addition to open debris burning, the Division now requires a general burn permit for the use of any type of burn barrels.
When building campfires in Alaska it is suggested that campers use designated burning areas and make sure to completely extinguish the coals before leaving. In Alaska State Parks campfires are only allowed inside the metal burn rings.
