Burn barrel sparks grass fire

Frontiersman Staff

WASILLA — Mat-Su Central Fire Fighters quickly doused a grass fire Friday afternoon near Foothills Boulevard off Knik-Goose Bay Road.

The call came in at 4:30 p.m. Responders were on scene pretty fast said Assistant Fire Chief Michael Kennan. "Central was staffing stations today so we got here very quickly."

According Kennan the half-acre grass fire was started by a burn barrel. Apparently a kid was cleaning the property and burning stuff in a barrel when the surrounding grass caught fire.

“There was lots of potential here. There are structures downwind. We’re lucky we got here when we did,” said Kennan.

Kennan said the clean up would take a couple hours because of the potietal for hot spots under the brush piles. People cut down trees and brush to clear their property and move it all to one pile which he called "wind rows". The grass and other plants begin growing over the piles so when a fire gets into the brush it will smolders away.

According to Kennan high winds and the dry conditions make it prime for fire.