Firefighters Gaining Upper Hand in Blaze Near Anchorage
Firefighters started getting the upper hand on a wildfire raging 50 miles north of Anchorage on Friday and expected to have it fully contained by Monday night.
Alaska Division of Forestry officials revised their estimate of the area covered by the Matanuska Valley fire to 37,760 acres, down from 42,000 acres, and said 216 “structures of value” such as homes, barns and commercial property had been destroyed and 369 had been saved. They said they had contained 15% to 20% of the blaze.
Spokeswoman Katie Markin said the more accurate figures had been made possible because of the success firefighters were having in battling the fire. Previously, the numbers of structures destroyed had been put at between 150 and 500.
About 1,800 people remained evacuated from their homes in the towns of Houston and Big Lake and other nearby communities, but no serious injuries have been reported.
About 300 firefighters battling the fire were joined by another 1,000, many from the Lower 48 states, Thursday. Officials attributed the success in fighting the fire to the added manpower and low winds.
Markin said rain was forecast for the area over the weekend. “That’s encouraging, but we still need about a week’s worth of rain to help change Alaska from a tinderbox to a more normal situation,” she added.
President Clinton on Friday declared a major disaster in the areas, sending a team to determine what federal assistance will be needed.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
