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| Fire danger signs convey the severe risk © L.W. |
Every Summer Brings Fire Danger To Local Communities
A record hot June has led to real fire danger this summer. ( As longtime Alaskans already know, those black spruce forests have only one goal: to burn up, and send flaming spruce cones and hot pitch high into the air, so they can fall somewhere else and start all over.) We've seen forest fires at Nenana, Delta Junction, Tok, Chicken, Big Lake -- and all places in between.
Just this week, only 3 miles north of Gakona, an electrical wire fell on spruce trees and set fire to the forest -- before being put out. It's a problem.
Caution your visitors not to start campfires or set off fireworks. And, just like when they run across an accident, if they see a fire, tell them to report it. They may not be aware that the volunteer safety infrastructure in roadside Alaska requires the help of the traveling public to succeed.