Fire closes Glenn Highway

May 30, 2006

BY DAWN DE BUSK

Frontiersman

KINGS RIVER - A wildfire a few miles east of Sutton near Kings River jumped through the woods and right onto the Glenn Highway at Mile 67.5. Flaming timber fell across the highway, closing it to traffic for four hours on Sunday, according to Johnny Murdock, Mat-Su Borough Incident Commander.

By 6:30 p.m., Memorial Day weekend travelers were allowed to pass through the area escorted by a Division of Forestry vehicle, with waits up to 30 minutes.

Those drivers witnessed a smoky haze and trees, still in flames or smoldering, along the roadside as three three-man crews from the Tazlina Hot Shots took chain saws to the remaining dangerous trees.

In addition to the road closure, authorities evacuated the Kings River campground, although a few camping parties with members who had not returned from ATV trips were allowed to remain, Murdock said.

Like the wildfire on Point MacKenzie Road that consumed more than 700 acres by early Sunday morning, the Kings River fire started when high winds felled a tree across a power line, according to Division of Forestry fire information specialist Matt Weaver. Sunday's wind measured a steady 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph.

The Sutton fire, which sparked to life around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, scorched about 13 acres, Weaver said. Alaska State Troopers blockaded the Glenn Highway shortly before 2 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., he said.

The worst-case scenario would have been if the wind had shifted and jumped across the King River, jeopardizing homes in Sutton, Murdock said. One home located in a heavily wooded area was threatened, but was saved by fire retardant and a helicopter's water bucket, Murdock said.

&#8220This fire had real potential,” John Huxley, Anchorage Fire Department Battalion Chief, said. &#8220The wind could have shifted and gone down the Valley.”

Some members of the Anchorage Fire Department fought the Port MacKenzie fire Saturday. The team returned to that fire Sunday, but were transferred to the Sutton blaze, he said.

&#8220Protecting structures is our specialty. When the fire started here, we were on the north side of the fire,” Huxley said. &#8220The helicopters and aerial tanker were doing a good job as well as the Tazlina Hot Spot crews.”

Trooper Nunley said when the Glenn Highway was blockaded, people were understanding and cooperative, considering the long wait. Most people had heard about the fire through the grapevine, he said.

Truckers who view time as money, Alaskans trying to find the ideal camping spot for Memorial Day weekend, and tourists visiting the state via RV just waited, while a few turned around and headed elsewhere. The firefighting equipment and support crews were staged near the Kings River Campground. When the road opened to one-way traffic, people passing by honked horns, gave a thumbs up and yelled their thanks to the emergency personnel.

Sunday night, the Sutton Fire Department used equipment to pump water from the river while the Anchorage Fire Department was in charge of transferring water from tenders to the portable tanks used by hand crews on the front line.

A six-person EMS crew from Sutton and Chickaloon stood by on Sunday and was scheduled to return Monday because &#8220the terrain is really gnarly and someone could break a leg,” Murdock said.

Bill Refer, an EMT from Chickaloon, saw the column of smoke Saturday afternoon while driving north on the Glenn Highway. He turned his vehicle around, knowing he might need to prepare his animals for a possible evacuation.

&#8220I live on the Glenn Highway, Mile 73, but as the crow flies, my home was close to the fire,” Refer said. &#8220My main reaction was it was so windy and I realized how dry it's been. It's kind of volatile times.”

The crews battling the fire wrapped up around midnight Sunday, and resumed work Monday morning, Murdock said, adding that crews needed six or seven hours sleep before tackling the job again. The crews probably would be camped out for two or three more days, containing the fire and felling potentially dangerous trees, Murdock said.

Weaver said the prospects of putting out the fire completely appeared promising.

&#8220It's looking good. We still have some Hot Shots there, but we pulled the smoke jumpers,” Weaver said early Monday. &#8220They haven't asked for any air support today.”

The state announced Monday evening that smokejumpers had been released from the King River Fire. The Glen Highway was reopened to two lane traffic at mile 67.5 at approximately 8 p.m. Monday, and power was restored by 2 p.m. to the area. The Tazlina Hot Shot crew will continue working the fire through Tuesday, according to the state.

Campers and others returning home from the long weekend need to be especially careful to completely extinguish campfires, according to a Division of Forestry news release, as the fire danger level remained high to extreme throughout the Valley.

The division also announced it had established a temporary flight restriction zone around the Point MacKenzie Fire. Crews were making progress Monday working down the flanks of that fire, widening fire and control lines. As of 10 p.m. Sunday, the fire was 75 percent contained and fire managers anticipated full containment by 10 p.m. Monday, according to a state news release.

Contact Dawn DeBusk at 352-2252 or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com