Fires Get Bigger and Nastier Near Fairbanks, Alaska

Alaska (HDW) July 2, 2004 - Extreme fire behavior in Alaska continued across the turning of the calendar from June to July 2004. Yellowish-gray smoke hung over much of the state, while fires (locations outlined in red) continued to grow across the landscape. Many of these blazes have been burning since mid-June, triggered by a few days of record-breaking lightning. Hot, dry, and windy conditions since then have pushed fire behavior to extreme levels at many locations. The Boundary Fire, north of Fairbanks, was spreading at a rate of 3 miles an hour on July 1, and at times firefighters reported that flame lengths were as long as 30 feet.