The Sitka Fire Department responded to a brush fire on Sunday night on private property behind the Petro gas station.
Assistant Fire Chief David Johnson said they received a call around 8:30 p.m. reporting a fire at the end of O’Cain Street.
Five firefighters responded– Johnson said it took them about five minutes to put out the initial blaze. Afterwards, they spent about an hour peeling over the area, checking for “hot spots”– or areas holding heat and embers without a visible flame.
No injuries were reported. Johnson says the source of the fire is undetermined, but similar fires aren’t uncommon in Southeast. Despite the rainforest climate, areas with heavy tree canopy tend to be drier, with organic material around the base of the trees.
