Firefighters from the Kenai/Kodiak Area Division of Forestry station are mopping up a small wildfire that was reported Tuesday afternoon near Tustumena Lake.
The Border Lake Fire, the 348th wildfire in Alaska this season, is estimated at one-half acre and is located about three-and-a-half miles southwest of Tustumena Lake, just south of Crooked Creek, approximately six miles east of Clam Gulch and the Sterling Highway, according to a Division annoucment.
The fire was reported just after 4 p.m. by a resident who could see smoke about a half-mile from his cabin. The fire is not accessible by road and a helicopter was used to ferry six firefighters to the site and to drop water on the fire.
The helicopter made multiple water drops to knock the fire down and firefighters secured the perimeter by getting fire hose around it Tuesday night.
The fire was burning primarily in grass and brush and fire behavior was described as “pretty tame.” The fire was declared contained just after 10 p.m. and four firefighters camped out at the fire overnight. They planned to finish work on the fire by mid-afternoon today.
The cause of the fire is suspected to be a lightning strike that occurred four days ago.
