Alaska wildfires spread amid windy, hot weather

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

JUNEAU, Alaska (Reuters) - Two Alaska wildfires that have forced hundreds of people to evacuate and destroyed dozens of homes spread on Tuesday in windy, hot and dry weather conditions conducive to extreme fire behavior, state officials said.

One of the fires forced authorities to restrict traffic on a major highway connecting two of the state's largest cities.

The fires come as officials express concern about crews battling blazes amid unpredictable winds, high temperatures, low humidity and lightning strikes.

"Considering the weather we are dealing with, these guys are going to be challenged," said Sam Harrel, spokesman for the Alaska Forestry Division.

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