A traffic accident on the Palmer-Fishhook Road sparked a fire that was fanned into a major blaze by winds clocked at 40 mph with gust to 60 mph in the Mat-Su Valley on Thursday afternoon.

The flames quickly moved into the brush and grass close by, after igniting from an overturned pickup towing a trailer at about 1:50 pm. In less than a half-hour, the conflagration was threatening the neighborhood a short distance away.

The tinder-dry grass on the snow-free ground was ready fodder for the fire, and Firefighters and Alaska State Troopers moved quickly to close off the highway and evacuate the homes in the path of the rapidly spreading flame,s that had passed the golf course, and pushed on into the woods surrounding the Cedar Hills subdivision. School buses laden with children bound for homes in the affected area were turned around, and an evacuation center was set up by the local Red Cross at the local senior citizens facility.

Firefighters numbering in the dozens swarmed to the fire from Butte and Palmer, and services were called in from Anchorage, Chickaloon and Chugiak as well. Firemen worked successfully battling the blaze and with the exception of various vehicles, a warehouse, and multiple outbuildings that included a shed that contained propane tanks that exploded in a fiery show, no homes were consumed in the fire, according to our reports.

By 4 pm, the firefighters had made considerable headway and reports were that the fire was almost under control, and by 5pm the highway was re-opened. By 8pm, most of the people evacuated from the Cedar Hills subdivision, were able to return to their homes.

One injury, that of a firefighter, was reported in that firefighting effort. Ironically that injury is being reported as possible hypothermia.