A period with dry and hot weather during June caused numerous wildfires in Alaska. Potential fire fuels, such as spruce, hardwood, and tundra had dried out due to the persisting heat and strong wind. In southwest Alaska, nearly all fires were ignited by lightning. The fires extended in July 2015 due to near-record temperatures. The 100 m false-colour image of 20 June 2015 shows various smoke plumes in southwest Alaska, with two plumes in the lower-right part – near the Stony River – being most prominent. The black-red area north of these plumes is the Yukoon-Koykuk Census Area, while the meandering Kuskokwim River can be seen from the upper-right to the lower-left part.