Facing disaster, community pulls together

  • Thursday, June 18, 2015 3:04pm
  • Opinion

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been impacted by the Card Street fire, from those who have been displaced by evacuations or who have lost their homes to the flames, to the firefighters battling to save as many other structures as possible.

As of Thursday afternoon, the fire had grown in size to 9,000 acres with no containment, and was elevated to the highest priority fire in the nation. Additional personnel continue to be deployed to the Kenai Peninsula to address the Card Street blaze, as well as to attack two wildland fires in the Cooper Landing area near Juneau Lake and Stetson Creek.

With firefighting resources already stretched thin, it is imperative that all of us do what we can to minimize the risk of any additional fires. First and foremost, that means not lighting a fire — for any reason. Every municipality and government agency with the authority to do so has issued a ban on open burning, including campfires. On the Chugach National Forest, even smoking is restricted.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Under the burn ban enacted by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday, only gas grills, backpacking or camp stoves using fuel or compressed canisters which can be regulated and shut off are still permitted for use.

Fireworks, which already are illegal on the Kenai Peninsula, also have been banned.

With continued hot and dry conditions, peninsula residents and visitors should be mindful of other activities that can spark a fire, such as heat or sparks from power tools or motor vehicles.

Please use common sense. Stay out of the way of fire crews responding to the fires. Stay out of the evacuation areas — the fire has been unpredictable, and conditions can change in a matter of minutes. There’s a reason people have been asked to leave those locations.

We’re heartened by the community’s outpouring of support, from donations to designated shelters, offers to take in displaced families as well as pets and livestock, to water and food for the crews out on the fire line. This community is always willing to pull together and help where help is needed, an attitude that will make getting through the current disaster a little more manageable.

More in Opinion

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.

Courtesy/Chris Arend
Opinion: Protect Alaska renewable energy projects

The recently passed House budget reconciliation bill puts important projects and jobs at risk.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks in support overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 69 at the Alaska Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)
Capitol Corner: Finishing a session that will make a lasting impact

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, speaks in support of debating an omnibus education bill in the Alaska House Chambers on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 in Juneau, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Capitol Corner: Choosing our priorities wisely

Rep. Justin Ruffridge reports back from Juneau.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks in support overriding Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of House Bill 69 at the Alaska Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini/Juneau Empire)
Capitol Corner: As session nears end, pace picks up in Juneau

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska) speaks to reporters about his decision to veto an education funding bill at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: The fight for Alaska’s future begins in the classroom

The fight I’ve been leading isn’t about politics — it’s about priorities.

Dick Maitland, a foley artist, works on the 46th season of “Sesame Street” at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York, Dec. 15, 2025. (Ariana McLaughlin/The New York Times)
Opinion: Trump’s embarrassing immaturity Republicans won’t acknowledge

Sullivan should be embarrassed by the ignorance and immaturity the president is putting on display for the world to see.

Former Gov. Frank Murkowski speaks on a range of subjects during an interview with the Juneau Empire in May 2019. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: The Jones Act — crass protectionism, but for whom?

Alaska is dependent on the few U.S.-built ships carrying supplies from Washington state to Alaska.

Sockeye salmon caught in a set gillnet are dragged up onto the beach at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Capitol Corner: Creating opportunities with better fishery management

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman reports back from Juneau.

The ranked choice outcome for Alaska’s U.S. Senate race is shown during an Alaska Public Media broadcast on Nov. 24, 2022. (Alaska Division of Elections)
Opinion: Alaska should keep ranked choice voting, but let’s make it easier

RCV has given Alaskans a better way to express their preferences.