Winds kick up century old volcanic ash in Alaska

By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — While western U.S. states were suffering from hazy red skies from wildfires, Alaska on Monday was dealing with an air quality problem born a century ago. Strong southerly winds picked up loose ash from the 1912 volcanic eruption, sending an ash cloud about 4,000 feet into the sky. There were no reports of ashfall in nearby communities near Katmai National Park, famous as the location where brown bears stand in the Brooks River and catch salmon. Pilots were warned about the cloud because the ash can stall engines. The U.S. Geological Survey says these events can happen in high wind events in the spring and fall.