Lightning sparks new wildfires in hot, dry Alaska

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lightning-sparks-new-wildfires-in-hot-dry-alaska/ar-BBlckv4

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Lightning sparked nearly a dozen new wildfires in Alaska as firefighters struggled Wednesday to keep up with two major fires threatening rural highway communities.

Although firefighters are devoting most of their time and energy to a large fire in Willow, in the heart of sled dog country, and another on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage, it's important to attack the new, smaller fires quickly.

"The idea is, if we can kick things when they're small, then they don't get big and expensive," said Pete Buist, a state Division of Forestry spokesman, from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center in Fairbanks.

Fifty-three fires are now burning, Buist said, "which in Alaska terms is the not the end of the world, but business is certainly picking up."

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Hot, dry weather is forecast for the rest of the month.