The fire broke out south of Wasilla off Knik-Goose Bay Road near Carmel Road, and, fueled by dry brush and light winds, fanned up to 912 acres as state and borough officials mounted an offensive against it.
By late in the afternoon, the blaze had stopped its growth and was no longer threatening the structures, said Glen Holt, a forestry spokesman.
Dozens of firefighters from the Mat-Su Borough and the Forestry Division were aided by an aircraft dumping loads of water, and they had made significant headway battling the blaze, which despite no longer growing had still not been declared contained, Holt said.
The Forestry Division's Gannet Glacier and Pioneer Peak Hotshot crews were expected to continue working the fire through the evening, knocking the blaze down and putting out hot spots. Officials planned to watch the site for flare-ups over the next day, Holt said.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Officials say fire danger is high in the Mat-Su, and that warm weather, dry conditions and light winds are expected to continue through the weekend. Although there were no burn bans in effect Friday, officials urged people to use caution.
Anchorage Fire Department spokeswoman Jen Collins said there have been a few small brush fires in Anchorage already this season. A bit of rain that fell during the week reduced the danger level to moderate, she said, but things are fast drying back out and the danger is rising.
"The bottom line is that there is a significant risk right now," she said. "It's springtime, and springtime means fires in Alaska."
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