Weather slows fire in Alaska

By RACHEL D'ORO
The Associated Press

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

The evacuation order remained in effect yesterday for 277 homes and businesses as the fire spread over 306,000 acres, up from 280,000 the day before.

Susan Woods was among the few evacuees allowed to return home as much of the heavy smoke that had blanketed the region about 30 miles north of Fairbanks dissipated.

"To get in my own bed seems more appealing than celebrating the Fourth of July," she said before leaving the truck-stop lot that had been her temporary home for five days.

Many residents camped out at the truck stop with their pets. Others took their animals — including horses, llamas, reindeer and goats — to the fairgrounds in Fairbanks.

Most displaced by the fire were urged to stay away yesterday, though state troopers let some homeowners return to retrieve possessions or check on property, fire officials said.

Firefighters planned to bulldoze and burn out a fire line between evacuated areas and the southwestern edge of the fire, which has damaged at least one home, fire-information officer C.J. Norvell said.

The Alaska Army National Guard dispatched two helicopters equipped with 900-gallon buckets that can be used to drop water on fires.

The fire, started June 13 by lightning, is considered 15 percent contained, fire officials said. It was the largest of 62 fires active in the state yesterday, and the only one with an evacuation order in effect.

So far this year, more than 1.8 million acres in Alaska have burned.

Elsewhere, a wildfire about 110 miles northeast of Tucson, Ariz., threatened the observatory that is home to the $120 million Large Binocular Telescope — one of the world's most powerful optical instruments. The fire was estimated to be between 10,000 acres and 12,000 acres.
 
Firefighters planned to build a protection line around Mount Graham International Observatory and reinforce nearby roads that will be used as barriers against the blaze.

The fire and another 5,254-acre fire nearby prompted the evacuation of the observatory and 85 cabins on the mountain Friday.

The fires were two to three miles apart and were expected to join in the next couple of days, said Paul Summerfelt, the deputy incident commander for the smaller blaze.