Tongass fire warning rescinded

The risk of fires in Southeast’s Tongass National Forest has dropped.

A warning was issued last week as warm, sunny weather dried out grass and underbrush.

But Fire Management Officer Seth Ross says that’s changed.

“It seems that the forecast and the current weather indicate that we’re going back to our typical Southeast Alaska pattern, coming out of that warm and dry weather,” Ross says.

“So, we are going to rescind that warning, but still, caution people to always be careful of fire in the woods,” he says.

Ross says the Tongass sees an average of 17 fires each year. Sometimes it’s as high as 40. Most are brush and peat fires.

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