The battle to quash one of the largest fires in Alaska has shifted to a new phase as crews try to protect a prized recreation area that contributes to world-class fisheries on the Kenai Peninsula.
On Friday, Gov. Bill Walker said he issued a disaster declaration for damage from the Card Street fire, as well as smaller blazes burning in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
"It was blatantly obvious this qualified as a disaster," said Walker.
The state disaster declaration frees up $1 million of state money to help cover the costs of the fires. A federal declaration may follow, he said.
Said to be human-caused, the 5-day-old Card Street fire ravaged Sterling earlier this week. It destroyed 11 structures, some of them homes, before moving east Wednesday toward Skilak Lake, the heart of a popular recreation area in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
On Friday, the fire was estimated to be smaller than originally thought, at 7,600 acres, down from 9,000 the day before. That happens frequently because managers struggle to get accurate readings with smoke filling the air, said Tim Mowry, a state Division of Forestry information officer.
With a lack of snow this winter and unusually hot weather in the region, other fires have also burned within the borough's boundaries, including some near Cooper Landing that were caused by lightning.
Walker said he flew over damaged areas on Thursday and met with Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre and other officials.
Navarre had sent the governor a letter seeking state assistance on costs to the borough estimated at $153,000 for damage from the fires. Mowry said the state estimates the total cost of the Card Street fire at $1.5 million.
Managers of the 2-million-acre refuge south of the Sterling Highway hope to quickly end the blaze, which some worry could double back on itself and again head toward Sterling.
"It's an unwanted fire, and we believe there's every opportunity for it to continue to threaten not only campgrounds and public-use cabins but our neighbors and adjacent communities," said Kristi Bulock, the refuge's fire management officer.
However, in part because the Skilak Lake area contains important salmon and trout habitat, managers must be careful to disturb the refuge as little as possible.
That means the red fire retardant that painted homes and trucks along the Kenai River in Sterling is taking a back seat to water drops from aircraft, including the lake-skimming planes known as "super scoopers."
The retardant contains ammonia that can hurt fish and frogs, though it's available to be used in the refuge to protect life and property if needed, officials said.
The reduced reliance on retardant is also strategic, since the water-scooping CL-415 planes and helicopters can quickly grab water from local lakes, while fire retardant requires a longer trip to the airport.
"It's a lot less taxpayer dollars and a lot more effective, depending on (the) situation, if you can hit the stuff with water over and over again," said Bulock.
She said retardant can't be used within 300 feet of streams, rivers or lakes unless life or property is threatened. She said retardant has been used in limited amounts, including to protect an administrative cabin used by the refuge that is not near water.
A large Chinook helicopter has also joined the aerial bucket brigade -- a rarity in Alaska, where smaller craft that haul less water are usually used, said Terry Anderson, a Division of Forestry public information officer.
"This is a full action and we have lots of aircraft on it," Anderson said.
The firefighting force has also continued to grow, with 323 responders combating the fire, including dozens from rural villages in Alaska and many from crews in the Lower 48.
The effort to protect the refuge includes bulldozing trees and shrubs in some areas to create a buffer between the flames and campgrounds and cabins. Officials say they're looking at the possibility that some of those "dozer lines" might be used to expand the area's existing 25 miles of trails.
"We will look to make the best of the situation in any way we can," said Bulock.
Refuge managers have closed the Skilak Lake Road that loops off the Sterling Highway, eliminating access for campers. But the few private landowners in the area, on the southern side of the lake or on Caribou Island within the lake, have been allowed to reach property if needed.
A lodge operated by Alaska Wildland Adventures on the lake's southern side shut down on Wednesday as the fire moved toward the lake. Eight guests were moved to another Alaska Wildland lodge on the Peninsula out of an abundance of caution, said general manager Tom Timmel.
"If you asked me, I'd say they were safe, but we don't take chances," said Timmel. "We were able to reroute them and they were happy."
The lodge has not been using the Skilak road in order to keep out of the way of firefighters, he said. But the lodge hopes to be up and running on Sunday, assuming the road is re-opened by then and supplies can be restocked.
Officials said temperatures were dropping to about 70 degrees Friday, with winds expected to blow in from the west, providing a measure of protection for Sterling.
Still, the weather is expected to remain sunny and dry, and bans on burning and fireworks remain in place for Southcentral Alaska.