Fairbanks Smoke

Yep...that is smoke and not fog. It is horrible. 2 million acres are burning in Alaska right now. That is larger than the entire state of Delaware. Apparently this photograph was taken on the worst day for air quality in Fairbanks since 2004... when 6 million acres of Alaska burned.

Mid-Day Sun Through Thick Smoke: Fairbanks Alaska

I took this image around noon yesterday through the thick smoke that settled over Fairbanks from nearby forest fires. The air quality in Fairbanks yesterday was "very-unhealthy". Even the airport was closed due to dense smoke that caused visibilities of 1/2 mile. As I'm writing this from deep inside the Natural Science Building, even my office smells like a campfire.

Speaking of FIRE: Alaska is BURNING !

There are so many fires near Fairbanks that we have been breathing smoke for over a month now. The top image is from my backyard. That is a huge wall of smoke in the sky, not rainclouds. the Sky was bright orange! A new fire has broken out 20 miles north of Fairbanks (causing the huge plume of smoke), with additional fires 20 miles to the south, and more fires to the east. I got up this morning and my truck was covered in ash, including burned leaves from these fires. Yes, ash was falling from the sky in Fairbanks this morning. For the most current image of fires near Fairbanks see this website: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=39668

Flaming Hula-Hoop: Anderson Bluegrass Festival, Anderson-Alaska