It’s fire season on the Kenai Peninsula and around the state. Since the start of May, as of Monday, the State Division of Forestry & Fire Protection has reported 47 human-caused fires, nine of which were located on the Kenai Peninsula.
The largest local fire was the Charland Fire, which was reported on Sunday, according to a weekly fire report published by the division. That fire was caused by two burning slash piles that had escaped into the nearby wildland. Seven total engines responded to suppress the flame, and it was “called contained and controlled” that day.
The division has also responded to local fires off of Gaswell Road and Funny River Road, in Anchor Point and in Nikiski, among others.
The division announced in April that wildland fire season was underway, and that burn permits are required on all state, municipal and private lands that don’t have a local burn permit program in place.