Fire

The Sterling Highway cuts through areas of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge where burns from the Swan Lake can be seen, Sunday, May 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Prescribed burns will produce visible smoke near highways

The burns are part of ongoing spruce beetle mitigation efforts

 

Kachemak Emergency Services and Homer Volunteer Fire Department personnel work to extinguish a fire inside the Fritz Creek General Store east of Homer on East End Road, early Thursday morning on July 6, 2023 in Fritz Creek, Alaska. Photo by Mark Kirko

Fritz Creek general store burns

Fire damage causes loss of a longtime community hub to East End residents

 

Division of Forestry & Fire Protection engines responding to the Charland Fire on May 21, 2023, near Soldotna. (Photo courtesy Kenai-Kodiak DOF)

9 fires reported on Kenai Peninsula since start of May

The largest local fire was the Charland Fire, which was reported on Sunday

 

The Sterling Highway cuts through the the Swan Lake fire burn area in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, as seen on Sunday, May 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Smoke from prescribed fire may be seen on Sterling Highway

The burns were scheduled for Monday, but smoke may be seen in the evenings and mornings following the activity

The Sterling Highway cuts through the the Swan Lake fire burn area in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, as seen on Sunday, May 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Alaska State Troopers logo.

Kasilof man, 69, dies in residential blaze

Troopers were notified of the fire at around 5:30 a.m.

Alaska State Troopers logo.
The aftermath of a small grass fire off East Hill Road near Homer, Alaska is seen here on April 8, 2020. The fire was started by a discarded cigarette. (Photo by Matt James/Alaska Division of Forestry)

Wildland fire season starts; burn permits now required

Burn permits are available from the Division of Forestry Fire Prevention

The aftermath of a small grass fire off East Hill Road near Homer, Alaska is seen here on April 8, 2020. The fire was started by a discarded cigarette. (Photo by Matt James/Alaska Division of Forestry)
Motorists travel through the Swan Lake fire burn on the Sterling Highway on Sunday, May 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Prescribed fires along Sterling Highway to start this month

Areas most likely areas to experience smoke include Sterling Highway Mileposts 43, 45 and 53

Motorists travel through the Swan Lake fire burn on the Sterling Highway on Sunday, May 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Kenai Fire Marshal Jeremy Hamilton is seen by one of Kenai Fire Department’s Tower trucks on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at Kenai Fire Department in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Get up, get out and get safe’

Kids taught about fire safety as part of prevention effort

Kenai Fire Marshal Jeremy Hamilton is seen by one of Kenai Fire Department’s Tower trucks on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 at Kenai Fire Department in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A Forest Service fire crew gets brief during an operation. Fire crews from Alaska are frequently deployed to the Lower 48 to help combat wildfires that are growing larger and closer to urban areas in many cases. (Courtesy photo / Parker Anders)

Into the fire: Alaska’s wildlands firefighters eye coming dry season

Alaska’s wildlands firefighters lend a hand where needed nationwide.

A Forest Service fire crew gets brief during an operation. Fire crews from Alaska are frequently deployed to the Lower 48 to help combat wildfires that are growing larger and closer to urban areas in many cases. (Courtesy photo / Parker Anders)
A Capital City Fire/Rescue fireman walks away after fighting a house fire at 8460 Kimberly Street on Friday, July 20, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Dog wakes residents, alerts them to house fire

In the case of a Friday afternoon house fire in the Mendenhall Valley, a small dog was the first responder.

A Capital City Fire/Rescue fireman walks away after fighting a house fire at 8460 Kimberly Street on Friday, July 20, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Shadura Road fire extinguished

A Monday evening structure fire on Shadura Road near Kasilof drew fire crews from Central Emergency Services to extinguish the burning building and from the… Continue reading

A Central Emergency Services firefighter emerges from a burning home on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 off of Poppy Lane near Kalifornsky Beach Road. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion) 

No injuries in home fire near Kalifornsky Beach Road

There were no injuries reported from a home fire near Kalifornsky Beach Road on Tuesday afternoon. No one was in the home when it burned… Continue reading

A Central Emergency Services firefighter emerges from a burning home on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 off of Poppy Lane near Kalifornsky Beach Road. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion) 

Arson suspected in Nikolaevsk fire

Arson is suspected in a Sunday night structure fire in the village of Nikolaevsk. None of the home’s occupants were present at the time of… Continue reading

The Swan Lake wildfire burns in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge as seen from the air June 15, 2017 near Sterling, Alaska. The 1,016-acre fire started by lightning will continue to be monitored, though it is not threatening any residents and has been downgraded in intensity. (Photo courtesy Tim Mowry, Alaska Division of Forestry)

East Fork fire intensity downgraded, firefighters still monitoring

Firefighters are scaling back their work on the East Fork wildland fire burning in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge as it is not posing any… Continue reading

The Swan Lake wildfire burns in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge as seen from the air June 15, 2017 near Sterling, Alaska. The 1,016-acre fire started by lightning will continue to be monitored, though it is not threatening any residents and has been downgraded in intensity. (Photo courtesy Tim Mowry, Alaska Division of Forestry)
This map, issued Sunday, June 18, 2017 by the Alaska Division of Forestry shows the area burned by the East Fork Fire near Sterling, Alaska. (Photo courtesy the Alaska Division of Forestry)

East Fork Fire grows to 1,300 acres

The East Fork Fire on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has grown to more than 1,300 acres, but is still headed away from infrastructure. The… Continue reading

This map, issued Sunday, June 18, 2017 by the Alaska Division of Forestry shows the area burned by the East Fork Fire near Sterling, Alaska. (Photo courtesy the Alaska Division of Forestry)

Kenai’s Russian Church to install fire system

Kenai’s Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church is filled with religious art and historical artifacts, is built of logs, and hosts weekly… Continue reading

A firework explodes in the sky above the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center during the finale of this year’s Christmas Comes to Kenai celebration on Nov. 25, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska. Kenai ultimately decided not to extend the use period for fireworks or allow sales within the city. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai firework ordinance fizzles

Legal fireworks in Kenai will remain confined to the 48 hours between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 and the city will stay closed to firework… Continue reading

A firework explodes in the sky above the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center during the finale of this year’s Christmas Comes to Kenai celebration on Nov. 25, 2016 in Kenai, Alaska. Kenai ultimately decided not to extend the use period for fireworks or allow sales within the city. (Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion)
In this May 22, 2014 photo, Central Emergency Services firefighter Josh Thompson throws brush into a fire along Funny River Road as the group works to control the burning Funny River wildfire which consumed more than 63,000 acres of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge land. (Clarion file photo)

Fire season shaping up to have later start

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the list of entities collaborating on a fule break being… Continue reading

In this May 22, 2014 photo, Central Emergency Services firefighter Josh Thompson throws brush into a fire along Funny River Road as the group works to control the burning Funny River wildfire which consumed more than 63,000 acres of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge land. (Clarion file photo)
Central Emergency Services responded to a fire at Cad-Re Feeds in Soldotna on Thursday, March 16, 2017 in addition to a second fire that took place on Swanson River Road earlier that evening. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

CES douses two structure fires

Central Emergency Services responded to two structure fires Thursday night, one at Cad-Re Feed in Soldotna and the other on Swanson River Road in Sterling,… Continue reading

Central Emergency Services responded to a fire at Cad-Re Feeds in Soldotna on Thursday, March 16, 2017 in addition to a second fire that took place on Swanson River Road earlier that evening. (Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

No injuries in Soldotna trailer fire

Central Emergency Services extinguished a burning trailer in Soldotna’s River Terrace mobile home park on Monday afternoon. The trailer was a total loss, though according… Continue reading