Lightning strikes ignite 20 new fires across Alaska

Firefighters in Alaska have been busy at work after thousands of recorded lightning strikes sparked about 20 fires across the state.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that more than 8,000 lightning strikes were reported in the state on Saturday, and at least 8,300 through Sunday evening.

Alaska Division of Forestry spokesman Tim Mowry says the lightning-sparked blazes are reminiscent of last year, when wildfires burned thousands of square miles of Alaska wilderness.

Mowry says the multiple fires in the area have stretched firefighting resources thin, but that things are still manageable.

The Department of Natural Resources launched a burn suspension in the Fairbanks area with very high fire danger in Fairbanks and the Railbelt with high fire danger in Salcha.

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