Fire officials responded to two wildfires this week.
A small fire at Taiyasanka Harbor was reported Tuesday morning, according to forester Roy Josephson. He said it was about a quarter acre and probably originated from a campfire not extinguished properly.
“The conditions are so dry right now, if a fire gets started, it burns readily,” Josephson said.
Wildland firefighters put the fire out, but Josephson said he would check on the site again Wednesday before officially declaring the fire extinguished.
Also Wednesday, firefighters were continuing work on a fire at 7 Mile Saddle on Mount Ripinsky trail. Josephson said the fire was reported about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
Seven firefighters responded and found about a half-acre blaze with 1- to 3-foot flames. The fire was on a 70 percent slope, just below a lookout point on the Mount Ripinsky trail.
Josephson said a helicopter on Wednesday morning dropped water on the fire.
“If we can knock it down with the helicopter, we’ll send in ground crews,” he said.
Josephson said he did not yet know the cause of the fire. But even with three days of cloudy, wet weather, the conditions this summer have been dry. He advised against having campfires because the conditions can fuel a smoldering fire to spark and grow.
“It’s extreme,” he said. “Even with that recent weather, in the scheme of things, it’s almost nothing.”