Half-acre burns off in Knik area

KNIK — A Monday house fire in the Point MacKenzie area sent flames spreading into the nearby trees.

The fire, reported late Monday morning, is in a subdivision off of Goose Creek Road, which is off of Point MacKenzie Road between where that road intersects with Knik-Goose Bay Road and where it turns 90 degrees to head south.

The home was fully involved when firefighters first got wind of it, according to emergency radio traffic and firefighters’ initial size-up.

Borough crews were on scene with a state Division of Forestry helicopter arrived around noon.

When he first sized it up over the emergency radio, Central Mat-Su Fire Chief James Steele estimated the size of the wildfire at a half-acre.

Forestry crews just before noon described it as “smoldering.” At 12:15 p.m., forestry reported to division dispatchers the fire had been contained.

According to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, so far this year 14 wildfires have been reported in the Anchorage/Mat-Su area but only 1.9 acres have burned.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.