In July 2025, lightning-triggered wildfires near the Kobuk River in Northwest Alaska threatened local homes and the tundra ecosystem. The author returned by small plane to set up firebreaks and sprinkler systems with fire crews to protect his sod house and surrounding caribou habitat.
With wildfires spreading in the Kobuk River country of Northwest Alaska, I just knew I needed to find a way to get home.The Nuna fire is burning still, pushed north by strong southerly winds. There has been some rain, not a lot. I remain concerned about my home. I’m worried about the caribou, too, and what brush will revegetate that tundra after these fires. I’m worried about that beautiful big land between the Jades and Onion Portage, the Hunt and Nuna river valleys.
Flash floods kill an average of 127 people annually in the U.S., and nearly half of all deaths involve vehicles. People don’t realize that it doesn’t take much water to strand or even sweep away a car.
After a snowy winter followed by a week of heavy rain, over 40 cabins near Lake Françoys-Malherbe outside Salluit, Nunavik, have been flooded, with some sitting in water and one appearing to float.
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