Alaska charter company pays $900k after guide caused wildfire by not properly extinguishing campfire

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska fishing charter has paid $900,000 in a settlement with the federal government which alleged one of their guides started a wildfire in 2019. Federal prosecutors say Groves Salmon Charters’ guide Joshua McDonald started a campfire on the Klutina River 160 miles northeast of Anchorage despite knowing there was a high fire danger at the time. Investigators determined the fire started when the guide failed to properly extinguish the campsite. Stephanie Holcomb owns the charter company. She says it can’t be proven that someone else didn’t use the fire after her guide. She takes responsibility but says there seems to be a lot of wiggle room that could cost someone their business.