Wildfires

Wildfires - Alaska

Lightning sparked nearly a dozen new wildfires in Alaska as firefighters struggled Wednesday to keep up with two major fires threatening rural highway communities.

Although firefighters are devoting most of their time and energy to a large fire in Willow, in the heart of sled dog country, and another on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage, authorities consider it important to attack the new, smaller fires quickly.

In Willow, an unincorporated community spread out along the main road connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks, 12 square miles have burned, including 25 homes and up to 20 more structures. The 335 people assigned to fight the fire were able to limit its growth on Tuesday, and were in line for reinforcements Wednesday.

On the Kenai Peninsula, the blaze in a corridor between the Sterling Highway and the Kenai River, Alaska's most popular sport-fishing venue, has consumed six structures since Monday.

A further 300 firefighters from Canada and the lower 48 states were expected to join the battle against the fires.