Small fires pop up in Talkeetna area on Monday

High winds and continued dry conditions mean that the fire danger is still very high in the Upper Valley.  On Monday, Eric Denkewalter with the Talkeetna Volunteer Fire Department, reported that three small grass fires started during the day.  One, near Mile 9.3 of the Talkeetna Spur Road, was likely caused by a downed power line.  Another, near Mile 5.3 of the Spur, may have been caused by a power surge.  The third, near the ‘Y,’ was likely caused by a cigarette butt being thrown out of a vehicle window.  All three fires were spotted quickly and extinguished.

In addition, the Division of Forestry had a helicopter in the area on Monday looking for a potential fire near Noel-Wien Road.  Denkewalter says that the crew were able to find and put out what could have turned into a wildfire.

As of Monday afternoon, a red flag warning is in effect, and all burn permits have been suspended.   Until rain arrives, the high fire risk in the Upper Valley is likely to continue. The next significant chance of rain in the forecast for Talkeetna and Trapper Creek is Thursday.