Cigarettes Blamed in Spate of Recent Alaska Fires

Anchorage fire officials say 13 of 21 fires over the past three weeks are the result of careless disposal of cigarettes.

KTUU reports that authorities also have responded to blazes caused by children playing with fires.

The Anchorage Fire Department’s operations chief, Graig Temple, says the fires have caused total damages estimated at $1.5 million.