A helicopter dumps water on a portion of the Funny River fire. Photo: AP
A spreading Alaskan wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 1000 buildings, but firefighters have gained ground by containing about 30 per cent of the wind-driven blaze, a US Forest Service spokesman said.
The Funny River wildfire had engulfed 650 square kilometres of forest, most of it inside the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in southern Alaska, said spokesman Willie Begay.
The week-old fire has expanded from about 446 square kilometres on Sunday, when it was one-fifth contained. The number of people affected by the evacuation of the buildings was not immediately known.
Firefighters face the inferno that has engulfed 650 square kilometres of forest. Photo: AP
Almost 600 firefighters are battling the blaze among rolling hills mostly covered with black spruce, Mr Begay said. The area has been without rain for more than a month, and steady winds from the south-west are fuelling the flames.
'Once it catches the wind in those areas, it's pretty fast-moving,' Mr Begay said. He added that rain might come in the next few days, which would help to put out the fire.
Reuters Entities 0 Name: Begay Count: 2 1 Name: Willie Begay Count: 1 2 Name: Alaska Count: 1 3 Name: AP Count: 1 4 Name: Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Count: 1 5 Name: US Forest Service Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1pbwvtb Title: Wildfire burns 250 square miles of southern Alaska wildlife refuge Description: By ReutersMonday, May 26, 2014 14:49 EDT A spreading Alaskan wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 1,000 buildings but firefighters have gained ground by containing about 30 percent of the wind-driven blaze, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said on Monday.
