Sitka firefighters extinguished an unattended bonfire on Harbor Mountain over the weekend.
Sitka Fire Department Engineer Emily Hill said a fire truck and crew of four responded shortly before 9 p.m. on Saturday after a concerned bystander reported the small pallet blaze at one of the lookouts by the fourth switchback on the mountain road.
“We drove an engine and a crew of people up there, and it was very small and contained, but needed to be put out,” she said.
Hill said it took about 15 minutes to put the fire out and disperse the coals.
“There was not a large amount of water used because it was a small fire,” she said. “[We were] also being conscientious of the water use while we were up there and didn’t have access to a hydrant.”
Hill said recreators should always bring something to extinguish fires and not leave them unattended.
The same night, shortly before 7 p.m., Hill said a search and rescue team responded to a call for an overdue hunter out Katlian Bay Road.
“Someone had been out hunting on their own, had set a meetup time and place with their friend, and then wasn’t there,” she said. “Their contact called the fire department, and we mobilized SAR and then that person ended up showing up to the meetup spot. They just didn’t have good comms with their buddy and showed up later than they’d planned.”
Hill said the case was closed an hour from the initial call.
