Rain showers and higher humidity have slowed fire activity in the state, but there are still more than 90 active, 14 of which are staffed. Fire Information Officer Pete Buist says the wet weather has not been enough so far to significantly hamper the fires’ advance.
Two blazes northwest of Fairbanks along the Elliot Highway are getting more attention. Buist says the Cascaden and Applegate fires have grown to cover nearly 30,000 acres in recent days.
Buist says there are several pockets of development along the Elliot, where a beefed up force of over 160 firefighters are doing structure protection on private properties scattered from Livengood, west to Eureka and Manley. He says if the Cascaden fire continues to grow it could impact the Trans Alaska Pipeline and the Dalton Highway.
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
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