Why are their SO many "Wild Fires" in Central Alaska Now? (Sat. Photo)

[Up2Late]

What's going on up there? Are these REALLY "natural wild fires," or is the * Department of Interior in the process of slashing and Burning the Central Alaska Forests while we aren't paying attention? These fires look a LOT worse than any Amazon Fires I've seen. BTW, the fires are marked with bright red outlines.

Check out these NASA Satellite Photos. The 2k, 1k 500m and 250m images are all the same except for resolution.


(click on thumbnail)



This one (above) shows how far the Smoke from these fires travel, although it sometimes even reaches the Gulf of Mexico:



If you have a very slow connection, you might try using the FSI viewer, just click the I con that looks like this:

[wli]

1. could be global warming, could be slash and burn

In Bushler's Reich, how would we ever know?

[Blue_In_AK]

2. They're real...

Many contributing factors, in my opinion related to global warming. We've had a spruce bark beetle infestation for several years that has left many trees dead and dried out. The past few years have been quite a bit warmer than when I first came up here in 1975, with drier summers. We have thunder storms in Anchorage now, when it used to be a rare thing, and I think there's been an increase in lightning strikes out in the bush. It's just a perfect combination of very combustible dead spruce and nature's spark. It'll grow back.

[asianmale]

4. Global warming-------

----sure seems factual in Alaska. I have been here for 32 yrs and noticed a lot of changes. The fires aren't anything unusual though.
Happens every summer. Usually lightning. We had a very high pressure system causing high temperatures and a temp inversion that kept the smoke from dispersing. Visibilities of less than 1/4 mi over large parts of the interior. These fires weren't fought. Too far from pop centers and no valuable resource at stake so the budget was saved for more dangerous fires. Won't be long and a nice blanket of the white stuff will snuff em.

[ecoflame]

3. Why would the Dept of Interior

want to slash & burn?

Here in the Pacific Northwest & Northwest, it has been unusually hot. Today in Boise, for instance, it was 102. It hasn't rained for about 45 days or more and some summers it doesn't rain at all - which is why we irrigate. Dry strikes from lightening in a dry storm cause many, many fires; the latest of which was up in the foothills this past week. You have fires burning in Oregon, northern California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, as well as Alaska.

I went to this page http://fire.ak.blm.gov/ and you can see just how many fires are burning in Alaska.

[Up2Late]

5. My "slash & burn" question comes from my current total distrust of...

...anything those Jerks in Washington tell us, but worst is what they are NOT telling us.

I've learned not to put anything past them, especially with the recent efforts to allow new Logging roads and turn the National wilderness areas over to the "Recreation Interests."

[izzie]

6. No one their to put them out?

Just a guess.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. See Asian Male's response

Up here we don't aggressively fight fires unless they're near populated areas. Naturally occurring fires are a part of nature and are generally allowed to burn themselves out unless they're threatening somebody.

[ecoflame]

8. AM's & Blue in AK responses are right on

Many of the fires here in Idaho are allowed to burn out unless life or structures (housing) are threatened. The Forest Service & BIFC keep an eye on those in our wilderness areas. Others, like the last couple up in the foothills were contained within an area and allowed to burn out. It's just part of nature; it'll grow back.

[Up2Late]

9. That's good to know, just hope they get some snow soon this year.

Fires that big only add to the Global Warming problem.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. We've had quite a bit of rain

here in the last couple of weeks with more on the way. This year's burned acreage was quite a bit less than last year. I think we're out of the worst of it.

[Up2Late]

11. Looks like you're right, check out this excellent USFS Fire Burn Map

It even shows major roads:



Click thumbnail to go to map page.