Firefighters stamp out 2-year-old hotspot from Funny River wildfire

Fire officials are warning Alaskans to use extra caution with campfires over the long Memorial Day weekend, especially after crews put out several recent fires caused by still-smoldering 2014 and 2015 burns on the Kenai Peninsula.

According to a joint release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Division of Forestry, firefighters responded early Wednesday to a small fire in the area of Funny River and Moose Ridge roads.

That's the same area where the 2014 Funny River Horse Trail fire threatened hundreds of Peninsula residents and prompted evacuations, eventually tearing through almost 200,000 acres, mostly in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

The fire Wednesday had been simmering in an "organic layer" a few inches under the surface, a remnant of that massive 2014 burn, according to the release.

Kristi Bulock, fire management officer at the refuge, said the new flareup burned about a 10th of an acre before it was brought under control.

It was just one of several such fires reported recently, with three holdovers from the 2015 Card Street fire — which burned not far from the 2014 Funny River blaze and even threatened one of the same neighborhoods — also attacked by firefighters in recent days.

Bulock said one of those fires, "about the size of a basketball," was reported to fire officials on Monday by mushroom hunters. When firefighters responded to the area, they found another small burn nearby.

Mushroom hunters last year also discovered a sizzling hot-spot from the Funny River fire, a 20-foot-by-20-foot patch that was stamped out by firefighters.

Then on Thursday, Kenai State Parks officials notified the forestry division of a smoke column within the Card Street fire perimeter, according to Bulock. That fire was also about a 10th of an acre, and was under control by Thursday afternoon, Bulock said.

Bulock said she's been surprised by how many holdover fires the area has seen recently, and noted the area had mild winters with little snow the last two years.

"It's remarkable that it's held over, that specific area of the Peninsula didn't get enough moisture to fully extinguish everything," she said.

Fire officials urged the public to exercise caution over the Memorial Day weekend, which typically sees thousands of Alaskans hitting the road for outdoor adventures. Among the recommendations for those hoping to set up campfires this weekend are to keep fires away from grasses and other vegetation, to ensure a fire is fully extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving the site, and to have tools and water on hand to keep fires from getting out of control.

"Despite cooler, wetter conditions across much of the state during the past week, forecasters are calling for warmer temperatures and drier conditions heading into the holiday weekend," the state forestry officials said in a release. "All it takes is a few days of warm, dry weather to elevate the fire danger."

Bulock agreed, emphasizing the need for good fire prevention practices as summer arrives in Alaska.

"It may look green, but green stuff is burning right now. It's drier than it looks," she said.

State foresters said Wednesday there have already been 150 fires reported in Alaska so far this year, after a warm, low-snow winter across much of the state that left conditions drier than usual. The first wildfire of the year was reported back in February outside Delta Junction.