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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

13224210,181 ac
1991 · perimeter dated April 17, 2007
Waldren10,052 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Mhm E 329,790 ac
1991 · perimeter dated November 24, 2008
Luck9,751 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Ian Nw 309,677 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Pothole9,214 ac
1991 · perimeter dated February 24, 2010
Stoney8,165 ac
1991 · perimeter dated October 18, 2008
1326877,719 ac
1991 · perimeter dated February 12, 2010
Mhm N 466,904 ac
1991 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Little6,657 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Soda6,139 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Gal Ne 505,589 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Moly5,570 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Dck S 325,031 ac
1991 · perimeter dated April 17, 2007
Tazlina Lake5,016 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Btt Sw 604,840 ac
1991 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
1313564,642 ac
1991 · perimeter dated November 6, 2008
Old4,616 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 27, 2010
Black Hills4,593 ac
1991 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Fork4,306 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
1314084,222 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Tal N 523,898 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Broken3,805 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
1324073,656 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Russian3,653 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Surprise3,394 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Hsl N 483,378 ac
1991 · perimeter dated April 17, 2007
George3,376 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
1315213,361 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Appel3,340 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
1322253,295 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 27, 2010
1315493,222 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Tal Sw 383,052 ac
1991 · perimeter dated April 17, 2007
Kulukbuk2,774 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Black2,700 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
1325642,542 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Eaa N 472,471 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
1315202,359 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Glacier2,177 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 8, 2024
Gal S 572,036 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 27, 2010

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.