Alaska Burning

[OnlinePoker]

Of the 15 new fires that sparked over the weekend, 8 were in Alaska. To date, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, 1.642 million acres have burned. Considering NIFC says 2.113 million have burned across the U.S., Alaska has accounted for 77.7% of all fires burned acreage this year.

https://fire.ak.blm.gov/content/aicc/sitreport/AICC%20Situation%20Report.pdf

https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm

[Throck]

1. Are the Alaskan fires natural or set by people?

IIRC Alaska and North West Canada are plagued by natural fires, because of the vast emptiness and mountains they can't be contained. In Alaska they only fight fires that threaten towns and villages but only by steering the fire around the town. It's been part of nature in that neighborhood for hundreds of years. Pine sap is like gasoline. I worked up that way one summer years ago, lots of wide open space.

[OnlinePoker]

2. Lightening caused 269, humans 212 according to my link

But the human caused have only burned 36,666 acres, probably because of rapid containment and proximity to human settlements.