An unattended bonfire caused a tundra fire at Morris Cove last Sunday. When on a walk with her family, Unalaskan Brenda Tellman saw smoke. She went to investigate and found the grass on fire. It was over an acre and spreading.
Tellman says she was scared they would not be able to extinguish the fire before it spread.
“Just people who are making fires out there have to make sure the fire is really out because of sparks with the dry grass," said Tellman. "We don’t have trees, but we do have bushes and a lot of super dry grass.”
After calling the Ounalashka Corporation and the city's fire department, Tellman grabbed a stick and worked with her son-in-law to stomp out the fire. And her husband used a bucket to shuttle water from a nearby creek.
According to Tellman, they were successful in putting out the fire before the fire truck arrived. But the firefighters made sure it was fully extinguished.
Tellman says people need to be careful in choosing where to build a fire.
“You got to make sure there’s not dry grass around it and you got to have a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher with you," said Tellman. "Just in case cause it’s always a little windy and breezy in Unalaska and you have to be prepared to turn the fire off if the sparks go in that direction.”
With good weather coming, there are bound to be more bonfires.
In Unalaska, generally you do not need a permit. Public safety says bonfires should not be more than two pallets high and you need something to extinguish the fire.
But if you are planning a fire far away from town, public safety recommends calling for a burn permit so they are better prepared to help.
