Wildland firefighters with the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Management responded to wildfire in a Delta Junction agricultural area this weekend.
A local resident reported the fire, located between Spruce Road and Barley Way Saturday afternoon, which was about 10 acres at the time, according to a DOF news release.
The Barley Way Fire originally burned only grass and windows before it spread to spruce and timber, which fueled its growth to approximately 75 acres by 4:30 p.m.
The state initially deployed two helicopters and an air attack ship, along with eight Bureau of Land Management smokejumpers in their first fire jump of the season.
Five engines from Delta, Tok and Fort Greely also responded for suppression efforts, along with assistance from one contractor and the Delta Junction Fire Department.
Teams from the BLM Fire Service Area and the Midnight Sun and Chena hotshot crews arrived around 7 p.m. to establish a saw line and remove potential fire fuel sources.
By Sunday night, the fire had grown to 310 acres when crews reached 60% containment.
According to DOF, light rain Sunday night provided some assistance.
“Hotshot crews will remain on the fire to complete containment and mop-up operations for an estimated 5-7 days,” DOF said in its update.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
DOF has already reported nearly 40 human-caused fires across the state this year already as it rolled out several Red Flag alerts due to dry conditions and high winds, which suspend burn permits for the duration. The majority of the wildfires are were located in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
Two were reported in Fairbanks earlier this month, including a May 8 tenth-of-an-acre fire at the Salcha solid waste transfer site and a May 8 one-acre grass fire at the South Cushman Shooting Range in Fairbanks.
Contact reporter Jack Barnwell at 907-459-7587 or jbarnwell@newsminer.com.
