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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

03105118,172 ac
1990 · perimeter dated October 21, 2008
03106317,545 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 20, 2010
Canoe Mtn.16,463 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Teklanika15,879 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 25, 2008
Btt Se 5915,508 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Tal Ne 5015,231 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Tal Nw 3513,216 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 10, 2024
Shawnee12,606 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Gal W 19011,920 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Eight Mile11,198 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Porcupine11,184 ac
1990 · perimeter dated December 29, 2023
Rock Creek11,053 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Beaver Mer10,712 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 4, 2024
Crooked Cr10,437 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Soda9,880 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
0310068,716 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Cem S 137,465 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Fyu Se 657,454 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Tal S 766,934 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 20, 2010
Hsl W 376,804 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
0310356,702 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Spitler6,636 ac
1990 · perimeter dated December 29, 2023
Military #66,052 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Cem W 265,786 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Joined5,372 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 25, 2010
0310124,956 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
0310414,903 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 20, 2010
Tal Sw 534,539 ac
1990 · perimeter dated February 10, 2010
Dishna4,503 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 27, 2010
Hus Sw 154,464 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Fyu W 844,174 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Ladue River4,131 ac
1990 · perimeter dated December 29, 2023
0310364,067 ac
1990 · perimeter dated November 13, 2008
0310453,856 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Tolstoi3,788 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Middlefork3,662 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Frozen Foot3,650 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
0320443,611 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 28, 2010
Granite T3,522 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Tal Se 803,354 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 20, 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.