A stack of Christmas trees did their best Yule log impression for commuters on Thursday afternoon.
The blaze, reported to the Anchorage Fire Department around 4:48 p.m., ripped through the trees slated for recycling outside the Carrs store at 1650 W. Northern Lights Blvd.
Engine 1 responded to douse the burning evergreens, a fire department dispatcher said.
Video filmed by passersby showed a sizeable bonfire burning for several minutes as vehicles slowed to watch on Northern Lights and Minnesota Drive.
After firefighters arrived, the bonfire was quickly put out, a video showed. No injuries were reported and it looked from the video that no property damage occurred.
The Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling collect the trees for chipping at Carrs parking lots in Anchorage, Eagle River and Palmer.
The trees are recycled into biodegradable wood chips and distributed to local non-profits and government agencies. Chips are used for trail cover, erosion control, and mulch.
A call for comment to Carrs was not immediately returned.
The fire was considered minor, the dispatcher said Thursday night, and the cause was not immediately known.
By Matt Sartwell