Alaska News

Sunrise fire fully contained after 30-acre burn

Fire officials said the Sunrise fire in the Meadow Lakes area spread to 30 acres before being contained Thursday afternoon.

Alaska Division of Forestry spokesperson Norm McDonald said after the fire was contained crews continued to work on hot spots through the day. On Friday, they'll use an excavator to break up burn lines established during the response, he said.

Ken Barkley, deputy director of fire and rescue for Matanuska-Susitna Borough Emergency Services, said in an email that crews worked through the night, establishing a "wet line" -- water or fire retardant sprayed on the ground, used as a firebreak -- surrounding the blaze.

"Quick notification and attack on the fire is what made the difference," Barkley wrote. "High winds and access (difficulties) made the fire challenging."

Firefighters from several Mat-Su fire departments and the Forestry Division, supported by air tankers, had been fighting the fire after it was first spotted by a pilot about 2 miles north of Pittman Road near Sunset Drive at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities said the fire was human-caused.

Interagency crews fighting the fire included wildland firefighters from the Gannett Glacier crew and the Pioneer Peak Hotshot crew, McDonald said.

No injuries have been reported from the fire, McDonald said. A helicopter crew spotted three cabins near the fire Wednesday, but none of them were considered threatened.

A warning for high fire danger in the Mat-Su region has been in effect due to limited rains, division officials said.

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