Firefighters worked to protect structures threatened by a small fire that cropped up near Juneau Lake in the Cooper Landing area Tuesday evening.
A second fire, the Russian Lake fire, was also reported, but crews did not immediately address the flames that were already 20 acres wide by the time the Division of Forestry was notified.
The Juneau Lake fire was half-an-acre in size, when crews first responded, said Public Information Officer for the Division of Forestry Andy Alexandrou. Nine loads of water were dumped on the blaze, but he could not confirm if the fire was extinguished, but was “cooled off considerably.”
There is a possibility an evacuation order may be initiated for areas in Cooper Landing, which will be announced on the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s website, Alexandrou said.
“At this point, it is still a good distance from the community,” Alexandrou said at 9:15 p.m.
Public Information Officer for the Division of Forestry Terry Anderson said he believes they are a result of a lightning storm hitting the area. Helicopters are searching for new hotspots.
The area where the Russian Lake fire has been sighted is on steep terrain, Anderson said.
A small fire, which started on top of a sawdust pile in Anchor Point, has been confirmed as well, but is less than a tenth of an acre in size and has been contained on site, Alexandrou said.
Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com.
