For anyone planning a trip to Alaska in the near future, be aware that there are major fires in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. In Alaska, we now have 2.69 million acres burning, with several fires covering 1/2 million acres each. There is dense smoke from the north side of the Alaska range through the interior to the Brooks Range. A fire that started three days ago north of Fairbanks has taken two cabins and one house so far. There are 80 active fires in the state, 496 fires have started. It is the driest and warmest summer on record in the interior; there has been no rain in the interior this summer.