The Alaska Division of Forestry reports that, for the first time since 2015, Alaska has recorded a three-million-acre fire season. The state also reached this milestone in 2005, 2004, 1990, 1969, and 1957 since 1950 when accurate counting of acres began. On June 19, the state was at just over 1 million acres burned through wildland fires. By July 2, it was at 2.02 million acres. By July 21, it was at 3 million acres.
1,800 miles span between the westernmost and the easternmost fire in Alaska that was reported this year, which is a little more than the same distance between Boston and Denver. The distance between the farthest north and farthest south fires is 1,600 miles, a similar distance between Detroit and Phoenix.
The BLM Alaska Fire Service Smokejumpers had the most southern fire jump in Alaska in the BLM smokejumpers 63-year history by traveling 787 miles from Fairbanks to the Popof Island in the eastern Aleutian Chain on May 13, 2022, in order to protect Sand Point from a nearby wildland fire.
The state’s biggest fire season was back in 2004, reaching 6.5 million in acres burned, according to the DOF.
There are over 530 wildland fires reported through the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center Wildland Fire Dashboard, over 250 of which are active fires.
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