The Swan Lake fire in Alaska. Washington firefighters have been deployed to fight record fires in the state.
Due a milder-than-expected summer with low fire danger, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources has dispatched firefighters to Alaska to help fight wildfires there.
“I’m grateful for the support Alaskan fire crews have provided to us in our time of need. Now, it’s our turn to help our neighbors,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in a statement. “Wildfires do not care about state boundaries, which is why mutual aid and cross-state cooperation is vital. My thoughts and prayers are with the brave firefighters we are sending and the firefighters already on the fire lines.”
This season, the DNR has sent 191 firefighters to Alaska to provide resources and support. Alaska has experienced hot and dry conditions this summer with very little rain. Winds have also made it difficult to suppress the 683 fires that have occurred so far, burning more than 2.5 million acres.
DNR crews in Alaska are helping to suppress the Swan Lake, Deshka Landing, and McKinley fires. For information on the Alaska wildfires, go tohttps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.
In Washington, DNR has responded to more than 1,000 wildfires this season, and 129,000 acres have burned.
