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Small wildfire quickly knocked down around Fritz Creek

Courtesy of Gail O'Neill

A small wildfire was reported Thursday evening around 9.5 mile on East End Road. Kachemak Emergency Services initially responded to the fire directly off Frontier Lane and the Homer Fire Department assisted.

The Alaska Division of Forestry also responded with an aerial supervision plane and an air tanker to drop retardant on the blaze.

Division of Forestry Wildland Resource Technician Nikos Kilcher was among those who responded.

“Through people on the ground using hoses off the trucks and also utilizing the air tanker and the areal supervision platform from Palmer, we were able to knock it down and keep it at under one acre,” Kilcher said.

A plume of smoke could be seen for miles around. No structures were lost, but open flames came within a couple hundred feet of one home and a handful of outbuildings. Kilcher says air support is typically called in any time homes are at risk. Firefighters remained on the scene late into the evening to make sure the fire was put out. The cause is not yet known.

Aaron Bolton has moved on to a new position in Montana; he is no longer KBBI News Director. KBBI is currently seeking a News Director, and Kathleen Gustafson is filling in for the time being.