Topless burn barrels taboo in Mat-Su

Open burning in the Matanuska, Susitna and Copper River Valleys was suspended last week and remained suspended today, according to press releases from the Alaska Division of Forestry which called the fire danger going into the Memorial Day holiday weekend "extreme."

Forestry and local fire departments responded to 16 wildland fires in three days between Monday and Wednesday this week, according to forestry spokesperson Morgan Miller of the Mat-Su/Southwest area center in Palmer.

Conditions are occurring which could lead to large and dangerous fires. The National Weather Service issued its "red flag warning" for the three Southcentral valleys, as well as for Kenai, Kodiak and the Fairbanks areas. Clear skies, lack of precipitation, wind and temperatures into the 70's and 80's, coupled with the low relative humidity prompted the warnings.

Burn permits have been suspended in all areas by the Division of Forestry. A suspension still allows the use of burn barrels with screen-tops and campfires, but forestry officials urge residents to use a screen cover with openings that are 5/8" or smaller and to keep a water hose ready.

Local firefighters responded to eleven burn-barrel-ignited fires between May 18 and 22, according to Miller, who said there were 17 burn-barrel ignited fires for the entire summer last year.

"The most important part of using a burn barrel is the cover," Miller said, "You should also have a hose right next to it and always attend to it."

Forestry personnel have a scale of wildland fire planning levels scored one through five. Between Monday and Wednesday of this week personnel at Forestry's Mat-Su/Southwest area center in Palmer bounced between levels four and five.

"Today we're on the verge of going from four to five," Miller said Thursday morning.

At level five, the Mat-Su/Southwest area center has four dispatchers, 22 initial attack personnel, two type-2 crews, two prevention officers, five initial attack engines, three initial attack helicopters, two Heli-tack and one initial attack tanker for retardant drops.

Planning levels are recommendations that describe actions to prepare for response to wildfires. The Division of Forestry assigns levels based on fire danger on a daily basis.