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Home / Wildfires / Alaska

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

0310563,302 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 15, 2010
Cassier3,207 ac
1990 · perimeter dated October 15, 2008
0310313,042 ac
1990 · perimeter dated February 2, 2024
0310373,015 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
0310262,661 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
0320392,534 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Btt Sw 612,534 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Hsl Sw 102,328 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Gal Ne 452,136 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
Cem E 902,127 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
0310391,821 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
North Fork1,752 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
Tal S 781,726 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 20, 2010
0320351,722 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
0310421,681 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
Btt W 311,608 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 5, 2024
Idaho Ck1,560 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
Cik Se 301,511 ac
1990 · perimeter dated April 18, 2007
0320321,508 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
Bear Lake1,365 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
Salcha Tr1,362 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
0320401,262 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 3, 2024
Minnie1,163 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2024
Ganes1,125 ac
1990 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Unk Se 101,035 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 28, 2010
Swinging Dome28,183 ac
1989 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Crooked Creek8,107 ac
1989 · perimeter dated January 11, 2024
Kogoyuk5,706 ac
1989 · perimeter dated February 5, 2010
Shotgun Dr.5,092 ac
1989 · perimeter dated October 10, 2008
Stuver Creek3,504 ac
1989 · perimeter dated April 25, 2008
9130273,406 ac
1989 · perimeter dated April 25, 2008
832015558,929 ac
1988 · perimeter dated October 17, 2008
832064284,467 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
832032209,360 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
831023141,741 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 17, 2024
832043120,516 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 21, 2007
Fyu Ne 50119,960 ac
1988 · perimeter dated November 12, 2008
80402885,819 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 17, 2024
Fyu W 9071,839 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
Wbq Nw 2571,387 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007

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.