Kenai Peninsula fire grows; more hot, dry weather expected
Posted Jun 27, 2019 03:56:03 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A fire on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula continues to grow but firefighters have completed intentional burning aimed at protecting a power transmission line.
The Alaska Incident Management Team says the fire as of Thursday morning had grown 19% to cover 75 square miles (194 sq. kilometres).
Firefighters worked into the early morning hours Thursday to finish a fire break protecting the Sterling Highway and a Homer Electric transmission line from the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project to utilities north of the peninsula.
Smoke continues to blow north into Anchorage and delay traffic along a 10-mile (16-kilometre) stretch of the highway east of Sterling.
Visibility decreases when winds blow from the north. Pilot cars are guiding motorists.
Hot, dry conditions are expected to maintain similar conditions into the weekend.
Dan Joling, The Associated Press
