"Excellent" progress reported on Malaspina Fire; Larger command team to take over

At noon on Tuesday, the Alaska Division of Forestry released its latest update on the Malaspina and Montana Creek Fires south of Talkeetna.

The Malaspina Fire is now estimated at eighty-five acres, and is twenty percent contained.  Forestry describes Monday’s progress on the fire as “excellent.”  Fireline construction has been complete, and hose lines are being established around the fire’s perimenter.

One structure and one outbuilding have been destroyed in the fire, which began around 3:30 on Sunday afternoon.  

The Montana Creek Fire is estimated at 365 acres, and is thirty-percent contained.

The cause of both fires is under investigation.

Command over the fires is changing.  The Pacific Northwest Type 2 Incident Management Team assumes control on Wednesday.  Forestry says the increased command team size will allow for more resources to be allocated to the two fires.

Due to continuing high fire danger, the Alaska Division of Forestry has issued a ban on all campfires, warming fires, cooking fires, and all burning activities that normally require a burning permit for an extensive area of Southcentral and Interior Alaska, including the boroughs of Denali, Fairbanks North Star, the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, and the Municipality of Anchorage.

KTNA will continue to provide updates on the Montana Creek and Malaspina Fires as they become available.  Information is available at KTNA.org and on the KTNA Facebook Page.