Alaska on fire: Thousands of lightning strikes and a warming climate put Alaska on pace for another historic fire season
Why is Alaska seeing so many fires this year?
Why is Alaska seeing so many fires this year?
There isn’t one simple answer.
Early in the season, southwest Alaska was one of the few areas in the state with below normal snowpack. Then we had a warm spring, and southwest Alaska dried out. An outbreak of thunderstorms there in late May and early June provided the spark.