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Alaska Large Wildfire History

Since 1980, 1,662 wildfires of 1,000 acres or more have been mapped in Alaska, 106 of them above 100,000 acres. The largest burned 558,929 ac; together they cover about 44,755,353 ac.

Fires by decade

'80
'90
'00
'10

What starts the fires in Alaska

Every wildfire incident on record has a cause code. Counts are of incidents, not acres — lightning fires are fewer but tend to grow far larger.

By broad cause
Human52%401k ac
Natural43%16.1M ac
Undetermined3%1.4M ac
Unknown1%783k ac
Specific cause, where recorded
Lightning614
Debris / open burning368
Natural (other)267
Recreation248
Equipment / vehicle use129
Firearms44
Arson / incendiary20
Railroad1

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, WFIGS incident records (WFIGS incident records, roughly 2014 to present). A specific cause is recorded for only some incidents; “Undetermined” and “Unknown” are the agency's own categories.

Largest in Alaska

832015 · 1988558,929 acBoundary · 2004538,652 acMinto Flats South · 2009534,912 acDall City · 2004500,352 acInowak · 1997489,738 acBilly Creek · 2004462,173 acFyu Ne 85 · 1990433,768 acNorth Dag · 2004424,463 acPingo · 2004356,476 acLittle Black One · 2009349,451 ac

All mapped large fires

Aropuk20,223 ac
2002 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Kocacho #219,998 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 7, 2023
Sheenjek16,299 ac
2002 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Cottonwood Bar13,862 ac
2002 · perimeter dated March 10, 2009
Lost Twenty13,293 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Slow Creek12,710 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 11, 2023
Big Waldren11,733 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 11, 2023
South Fork9,750 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Lynx Creek8,458 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 7, 2023
Stringo Lakes7,744 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 7, 2023
Graham7,112 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Big Rock Mountain5,508 ac
2002 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Cottonwood5,244 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Moose Creek5,208 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Susulatna5,161 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 11, 2023
Ketchem Creek4,905 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Waldren Fork4,895 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 11, 2023
Grand Creek4,248 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 7, 2023
Moose Creek3,970 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Kalskag3,920 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Goblet Creek3,461 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Dawn Creek2,549 ac
2002 · perimeter dated March 10, 2009
Death Valley2,409 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 7, 2023
Un Chena1,998 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Crooked #31,976 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Thursday Creek1,701 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Hoholitna1,527 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Sand1,504 ac
2002 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Tag River #41,283 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Crazy1,263 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 8, 2023
Ambler River1,073 ac
2002 · perimeter dated December 7, 2023
Survey Line113,895 ac
2001 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
11124684,784 ac
2001 · perimeter dated November 23, 2004
Herron River6,248 ac
2001 · perimeter dated April 25, 2008
1372823,259 ac
2001 · perimeter dated November 23, 2004
Duluth2,111 ac
2001 · perimeter dated November 23, 2004
Tractor Trail2,057 ac
2001 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Eddy Creek1,969 ac
2001 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023
Hillbilly1,475 ac
2001 · perimeter dated November 23, 2004
Zitziana165,243 ac
2000 · perimeter dated December 12, 2023

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, Interagency Fire Perimeter History. Only fires with a mapped perimeter of 1,000 acres or more appear; the state is inferred from the responsible unit code. A record of past fires is not a forecast. See About the Data.