A wildfire burning on the central Kenai Peninsula had consumed about 150 acres and destroyed six structures near the community of Sterling by Monday evening.
Division of Forestry first responded to the Card Street fire at about 2 pm on Monday.
Spokesperson Andy Alexandrou says the fire is located in a populous area but no injuries had been reported by Monday evening.
“We do have confirmation that six structures were lost. I don’t know if those were primary residences or a garage or something of that nature,” she said.
According to a release from Brenda Ahlberg of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management, just after 7:30 pm Monday, evacuations are in place for residents living in the area of Salmon Run Drive to the end of Fisherman’s Road and Dow Island. Also, for all subdivisions off of Feuding Lane to Sterling Highway and Kenai Keys to the Kenai River.
Alexandrou says there are many more structures in danger, and evacuation notices will be updated regularly.
“The loss of the structures is awful and it is in an urban interface. [There’s] way more urban interface involved than with the experience with the Funny River Fire,” she said.
That’s the wildfire that consumed nearly 200,000 acres of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge last year.
Alexandrou says the fire has expanded south, following wind patterns, since it started.
“It started north, up by Aspen Lane and Cottonwood Lane areas, adjacent to Feuding lane and has burned to the south and southeast, and a bit to the southwest of its point of origin.”
Alexandrou says support and equipment have come up from Homer, as equipment from the central peninsula went to help fight another fire, the Sockeye Fire near Willow. Additional outside support is expected to arrive soon.
The Kenai Peninsula is currently under a burn suspension until further notice, due to the unseasonably warm and dry conditions over the past few weeks.
