The National Weather Service has put into effect a ‘Red Flag Warning’ for the Western Kenai Peninsula on Saturday in anticipation of hot, dry and windy conditions.
The warning is in effect from noon Saturday until 10 p.m.
The forecast is calling for relative humidity to fall to around 25 percent, with high temperatures reaching the upper 70s, and north winds steady at 15, gusting to 30 mph.
The National Weather Service is warning that rapid ignition, growth and spread of wildfires will be possible under those conditions.
As a result of the Red Flag Warning, all small and large scale permitted burning has been suspended on the Kenai Peninsula by the Division of Forestry beginning at 12:01 AM on Saturday, and will remain suspended until further notice.
There are currently 21 active fires in Alaska, however none of them are being fought. There have been 322 wildfires in the state this year, involving 181,678 acres.