A wildfire kicks off not far from KL2R on 17 June. Unbelievable. Note the water bucket under the helicopter and our tower on the hill. It became known as the Kanuti Fire. One finger of the fire burned as close as 200 meters from our property. Thankfully, it was limited to about 120 acres, and no homes were lost -- but it was a mighty close call for all of us in the neighborhood!
This is a particularly dangerous time for wildfires in Alaska. A long spell of near-record heat (95F/35C) has dried everything thoroughly. Lightning or a simple spark can spell big trouble in a hurry as was the case here. The fire was man-caused, possibly by a spark from a four-wheeler/ATV.
