Time to use caution when burning

  • By Peninsula Clarion Editorial
  • Monday, April 24, 2017 12:24pm
  • Opinion

Earlier this week, the Clarion reported that wildland fire officials are expecting to see normal fire activity through April and May, as compared with the early start to wildfire season that agencies were preparing for at this time last year.

However, just because they are no indicators of higher-than-normal fire danger doesn’t mean that the risk of a wildfire is nonexistent.

In fact, the Alaska Division of Forestry reported six small wildfires in Southcentral Alaska this past week, five in the Mat-Su area and one along the Seward Highway just south of Anchorage. Though the fires were quickly extinguished, they illustrate just how quickly a little sunshine and a steady breeze — conditions we’ve had on the central Kenai Peninsula over the past several days — can dry things out once the snowcover is gone.

According to Forestry, four of the five fires in the Mat-Su were sparked by exhaust from a backfiring pickup truck that caught grass on fire; the other was a grass fire involving hay bales. The cause of the fire along the Seward Highway is under investigation.

There have been a few small fires in this area, too, including one that started from sparks from a welder.

The Kenai Peninsula made it through 2016 without a major wildfire, but the 2015 Card Street fire and the 2014 Funny River Horse Trail fire are still fresh in our minds. While there’s a chance of rain in the forecast in the coming days, we urge peninsula residents and visitors to use caution when burning, whether it’s a small campfire during an early season excursion, or a pile of yard debris that’s ready to be disposed of.

Take into consideration these fire safety recommendations from Forestry:

— Watch for vegetation on or touching hot parts of the engine or exhaust of an ATV or off-road vehicle that can cause a fire. Be vigilant if riding in a grassy area. The same caution goes for lawnmowers and chainsaws.

— Don’t use barbecue grills on a grass surface and dispose of ashes or coals in a safe place (i.e. fireproof container) when done cooking.

— Make sure your burn barrel is approved (forestry.alaska.gov/burn/) or you must obtain a burn permit. Be certain items are completely burned and do not let the fire smolder. Do not leave an active burn barrel unattended.

— Keep campfires small (under 3 feet in diameter) and in a spot where the fire cannot spread. Select a spot on gravel, sand or bare soil well away from trees, moss, brush and dry grass. Never leave a campfire unattended. Make sure fires are completely out by drowning them with water and stirring them with a stick until they are cold to the touch.

— Conditions are dry enough that a discarded cigarette butt in grass or vegetation could start a fire. Extinguish any cigarette fully before discarding.

— Avoid areas where sparks and/or discharge of hot burning metal from cutting, grinding or welding can ignite anything flammable.

— Permits are required for debris burning and burning is not allowed when a burn suspension is in place. If burning is allowed, permit holders are required to follow the safe burning practices listed on their permit. Never leave a burn pile unattended and have water and tools to keep the fire in check. Call your local forestry office at 907-260-4269 or go online at forestry.alaska.gov/burn to see if burning is allowed in your area.

— Using firearms with tracer rounds can start a fire in dry vegetation, as can ricochets from steel core shells on rocks or metal.

— Trailer safety chains dragging on or hitting the road can send sparks and/or small, burning pieces of metal into grass along the side of the road or in ditches.

Fire crews have continued work on fire breaks in the area, but the best way to fight a wildfire is to takes steps to prevent one in the first place. Let’s hope for another quiet wildfire season here on the Kenai Peninsula.

More in Opinion

Gov. Mike Dunleavy unveils proposals to offer public school teachers annual retention bonuses and enact policies restricting discussion of sex and gender in education during a news conference in Anchorage. (Screenshot)
Opinion: As a father and a grandfather, I believe the governor’s proposed laws are anti-family

Now, the discrimination sword is pointing to our gay and transgender friends and families.

Kenai Peninsula Education Association President Nathan Erfurth works in his office on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Voices of the Peninsula: Now is the time to invest in Kenai Peninsula students

Parents, educators and community members addressed the potential budget cuts with a clear message.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: An accurate portrayal of parental rights isn’t controversial

Affirming and defining parental rights is a matter of respect for the relationship between parent and child

t
Opinion: When the state values bigotry over the lives of queer kids

It has been a long, difficult week for queer and trans Alaskans like me.

Dr. Sarah Spencer. (Photo by Maureen Todd and courtesy of Dr. Sarah Spencer)
Voices of the Peninsula: Let’s bring opioid addiction treatment to the Alaskans who need it most

This incredibly effective and safe medication has the potential to dramatically increase access to treatment

Unsplash / Louis Velazquez
Opinion: Fish, family and freedom… from Big Oil

“Ultimate investment in the status quo” is not what I voted for.

An orphaned moose calf reared by the author is seen in 1970. (Stephen F. Stringham/courtesy photo)
Voices of the Peninsula: Maximizing moose productivity on the Kenai Peninsula

Maximum isn’t necessarily optimum, as cattle ranchers learned long ago.

(Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: The time has come to stop Eastman’s willful and wanton damage

God in the Bible makes it clear that we are to care for the vulnerable among us.

Caribou graze on the greening tundra of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska in June, 2001. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: AIDEA’s $20 million-and-growing investment looks like a bad bet

Not producing in ANWR could probably generate a lot of money for Alaska.

A fisher holds a reel on the Kenai River near Soldotna on June 30, 2021. (Photo by Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Voices of the Peninsula: King salmon closures long overdue

Returns have progressively gone downhill since the early run was closed in June 2012

(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Opinion: Fixing legislative salaries and per diem

The state Senate was right to unanimously reject giving a 20% pay… Continue reading

Alaska First Lady Rose Dunleavy. (Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor)
Opinion: Volunteerism is a key pillar of Alaska history, future

I am happy to continue the First Lady’s Volunteer Awards