HOMER -- A fire north of Homer tripled in size Sunday afternoon, roaring across slopes of dry grass and dead spruce as hoped-for clouds and rain failed to show up. Also failing to show up was the state's only tanker airplane, which was diverted with its load of retardant to three new fires south of Fairbanks.
Firefighters concentrated their efforts in Homer on the southwest corner of the fire, preventing a spread south toward homes on Skyline Drive. But as helicopters and crews from Fairbanks, Nondalton and Nikolai worked the south edge with a burn-out operation, flames galloped northwest toward the unpopulated upper valley of the Anchor River.
The Homer fire was touched off Friday afternoon by a fallen power line near Greer Road, eight miles northeast of town. It reached 300 acres by Friday night, 1,000 acres by Saturday night, and by Sunday night was expected to reach 4,000 acres.
"I've been an (incident commander) for many years and never lost a fire like this. It was a humbling experience," state firefighter Terry Anderson told a community meeting attended by 100 people Sunday night.
"I kept thinking the fire would lay down," Anderson said. "Most fires in this area do. Especially on April 28. But this fire had too much energy."
He said beetle-killed speruce lying on the ground was making the fire especially hot.
More sunny, breezy weather was forecast for today in Homer, fire information officer Kris Eriksen said. Some precipitation might reach the area Tuesday, she said.
No structures have been reported lost in the Homer area and no evacuations ordered, fire officials said.
The single tanker airplane that started duty for the state Sunday in Palmer was ordered for Homer but sent instead to a new fire along the Alaska Railroad right of way near Nenana, state fire officer John See said. Before the plane reached Nenana, it was diverted to a fire of about 150 acres in the New Hope subdivision northeast of Delta Junction, he said. The New Hope fire threatened about 20 homes, he said.
Then a 15-acre fire of even more concern broke out in the Tenderfoot Subdivision south of Eielson, and that was where the tanker ended up dumping its load, See said. The plane then headed back to Palmer on Sunday afternoon for another load and new orders.
A second tanker plane won't be in service for another week, he said. He said the state puts priority on fires that threaten homes and on making an initial attack while the fire is still small.
No damage to homes was reported from any of the northern fires Sunday, See said.
The number of fires Alaska is experiencing for this time of year is still about average, See said. What's different, he said, is that some of these fires are already big. Typical fires this time of year are less than an acre, he said.
The Tracy Avenue fire, as it has been dubbed by the state, was the talk of Homer over the weekend, with a huge billowing cloud peering over the bluff. The fire was burning west down Beaver Creek and north onto a flank of Bald Mountain.
Dylan Weiser, who lives in the high country behind Homer, has a panoramic view of the fire to the north. He came home Sunday to find 10 strangers standing on his porch with binoculars. Other cars lined Ohlson Mountain Road for a view.
From his house early Sunday evening, smoke and flames spread across the distant valley in eerie silence. The only sound was the trill of a varied thrush. But he knew a change of wind could send the flames his way.
"I'm definitely peeking out my window at night," Weiser said.
The good news Sunday was that crews were successful in keeping the fire turned away from Skyline Drive and the nearby Eagle Aerie subdivision, Eriksen said. An 8 mph southeast breeze Sunday afternoon picked up the fire's pace, she said.
Firefightwers were trying to build a line on the west side of the fire and herd it north, said state incident commander Tom Kurth. "It's race against time for us," he said.
He said the bigger, long-term concern was the fire continung northwest, crossing the Anchor River and approaching the North Fork Road in Anchor Point and the village of Nikolaevsk. He said limited resources available this early in the season were hampering the state's efforts.
Reach reporter Tom Kizzia at tkizzia@ adn.com or in Homer at 1-907-235-4244.
