Fire officials say warmer conditions and winds pushed the Swan Lake fire on the Kenai Peninsula to more than 18,000 acres on Thursday.
The fire's growth was mainly on the southern and eastern perimeter toward the community of Sterling, according to a release on the Alaska Wildland Fire Information website. In response, hand crews strengthened containment lines to protect homes, businesses and infrastructure in the community.
Firefighters and fire prevention specialists are continuing to visit Sterling community neighborhoods to assess properties, officials said. There is currently no immediate threat to Sterling but now is the time to be prepared. Information to safeguard property from wildland fires is available online.
The persistent winds moved the fire east toward Mystery Creek Road, the release stated.
"These black spruce forests have not burned since 1947 and are extremely receptive to carrying fire," officials wrote.
Aircraft worked Wednesday afternoon to slow fire spread to the east and eliminate hot spots.