A lake-island fire hands Mat-Su crews a boat-only problem

A cabin fire on a tiny lake island gave Mat-Su firefighters an unusual problem this weekend: the fire was there, but the road wasn't.

Alaska's Division of Forestry & Fire Protection responded Sunday to a small blaze on an island in Flat Lake, reported by a caller who saw two-foot flames with buildings nearby. Because the fire sits on an island, the engine crew couldn't drive to it — they had to be ferried across by boat to reach the flames. As of the afternoon update, the fire was tiny, about a tenth of an acre, just creeping and smoldering.

The wrinkle is what makes it worth noting: a fire that would be routine on the road system becomes a logistical puzzle when the only way in is across the water, and the structures sitting close by are what turned a small smolder into an immediate call-out. Forestry said it would post further updates as things develop.