Card Street grows; new fires spring up

As of noon Wednesday, Division of Forestry Public Information Officer Terry Anderson was unable to confirm the exact size of the Card Street Fire stating only that it has surpassed the previously reported 2,574 acres.

One additional home was burned in the Kenai Keys subdivision Tuesday night, bringing the total to 11. Anderson said several other structures were saved by firefighters as they battled flames in the Kenai Keys.

“We expect to be very active again today,” Anderson said Wednesday. “We’re pretty happy with what happened last night. There were many, many structures that were saved.”

Anderson said the Kenai Keys subdivision and spot fires that have jumped across the Kenai River were Wednesday’s main focus on the ground. 

Anderson confirmed that a hot spot has cropped up near Killey River, which flows into the Kenai River.  He said about 100 new crew members joined the fight Wednesday, bringing the total number of personnel actively working to subdue the Card Street Fire to about 175. 

Two sizeable fires were reported in the Cooper Landing area by 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The Russian Lake Fire, situated on steep terrain and burning Black Spruce, is most recently reported at 150 acres, Alexandrou said.

The Juneau Lake Fire, nearly 5 acres, was an immediate, direct threat to structures.