U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Easterlund, a fire

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Easterlund, a fire protection specialist assigned to the 673rd Civil Engineer Squadron, uses a drip torch to light a back fire during a controlled burn at Grezelka range on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 2, 2016. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, last winter in Alaska was the second warmest on record dating back to 1925. Combined with record-low snowfall and precipitation, the chance of fire activity greatly increases as combustible dry detritus accumulates. Controlled burns reduce the chance of spot fires by removing excess dry brush and grass. (U.S. Air Force photo/Alejandro Pena)