State firefighters say a roughly 90-acre wildfire that broke out in Sterling last week is almost entirely contained. The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection reported Monday the so-called Grandview Fire is 90% contained. Crews are working on finding and extinguishing lingering hotspots.
The state says recent rainfall has helped suppress the fire, but is also slowing operations in some areas. Firefighters are being mindful of where burned trees have become saturated with rainfall and, as a result, more unstable and prone to falling, the state said.
The Grandview Fire was first reported last Wednesday evening near the intersection of Swanson River Road and Jacobsen Avenue in Sterling. That evening, the blaze grew from an initial size of around eight acres to almost 90 acres. The state later determined the fire was caused by an escaped campfire.
Central Emergency Services assisted state crews in putting the fire out. Additional firefighters and equipment were brought in from Fairbanks and Palmer.
The state initially said the fire threatened nearby utility lines, however firefighters bounded the blaze before that happened. At the request of emergency services, Homer Electric Association cut power for around 3,400 customers so crews could drop water in the area. The cooperative said it restored power to all customers around an hour and a half later.
The state did not issue any evacuation orders for Sterling. But an assisted living home in the area voluntarily evacuated residents to the nearby senior center the night the fire was reported. The residents returned home the next morning.
As of Monday, the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection says fire danger on the Kenai Peninsula remains “very high” and is requiring burn permits. Up-to-date information about wildland fires in Alaska is available on the Alaska Wildland Fire Information website.
