With the U.S. Forest Service predicting a $1 billion wildfire season this year, homeowners are being asked to help prevent the possibility of another Funny River Fire.
Senator Lisa Murkowski noted earlier this week that she’s never before seen a snowless Interior Alaska this early in the year.
Paul Pelligrini with the State Division of Forestry said the light snow last winter is one sign we could be in for a dangerous fire season…
Pelligrini: “It all depends on the precipitation we get from here on it, but as you can see looking out your window, our cured grasses are exposed and they’re higher and drier than they have been in 10 or 12 years. It’s the lack of snow pack that has let that happen. Usually these cured grasses are compacted and this year they’re more standing and available to a potential ignition source.
Pelligrini said they’ve been training crews two weeks to a full month earlier than normal, and helicopters were stationed in Soldotna last month.
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