Hundreds of residents flee Alaska wildfire
No rain expected until Sunday
June 6, 1996
Web posted at: 8:35 a.m. EDTBIG LAKE, Alaska (CNN) -- Ardi and Bert Kleinenburg stood next to the charred remains of what used to be their hotel, the Klondike Inn, which was consumed by the wind-driven Alaska wildfire that has charred more than 41,000 acres. (572K QuickTime movie)
"You see it out there," the husband explained, "and you see your whole life go up in flames." (34K AIFF or WAV sound) The couple escaped the area the only way they could -- by boat.
"It was unbelievable. It was like we were surrounded by fire," said Ardi Kleinenburg, pointing in all directions. (162K AIFF or WAV sound)
The wildfire that began over the weekend had more than tripled in size by Wednesday, chasing about 1,000 residents from their homes.
Fires fueled by winds up to 25 mph and tinder-dry conditions have destroyed hundreds of homes in south-central Alaska north of Anchorage. With rain not expected before Sunday, officials fear the fire may worsen.
No major injuries have been reported, and property damage is estimated at $40 million, officials said. Investigators believe fireworks may have started the blaze.
"This is clearly the largest natural disaster Alaska has ever had in terms of property damage," said Gov. Tony Knowles.
Iditarod winner saves dogs
Martin Buser, two-time winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, ferried as many as 80 dogs to the safety of an island in the middle of Big Lake on Tuesday, then returned to his home to beat back flames, his wife, Kathy Buser, said. The house was saved.
Fire Commander David Liebersbach said he couldn't give a fair approximation of how many homes had burned. "We know it's probably in the hundreds. We just haven't had the personnel to count them," he said.
More than 500 federal, state and local firefighters have been battling the blazes. Another 1,000 firefighters were heading to the scene to help, Liebersbach said.
Despite door-to-door warnings for residents to evacuate, many residents of the Big Lake area about 60 miles north of Anchorage have stayed behind to fight the blaze. As many as one-third of the homes in Big Lake have been damaged or destroyed.
Timothy Casper, fire chief in Houston, Alaska, said the National Guard has been brought in to keep people who have been evacuated from trying to return to their homes. The fire burned through dense black spruce and birch with flames shooting 200 feet up into the sky.
Late Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers closed the Parks Highway north and south of Big Lake while firefighters tried to halt the fire's eastward advance toward the town of Wasilla about 10 miles away. Those stretches of highway reopened Thursday. Parks Highway links Anchorage and Fairbanks, the state's largest cities.
The wildfire also forced officers to evacuate 74 inmates at a minimum-security work farm operated by the state Department of Corrections because the center was in the path of the fire.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related story:
- Alaska fire burns 'out of control' - June 5, 1996
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