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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

83209751,390 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 28, 2010
Hoho38,743 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 17, 2024
Wbq Nw 3028,345 ac
1988 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
83209327,196 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
83214326,893 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
83102426,527 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 28, 2010
83208623,726 ac
1988 · perimeter dated November 12, 2008
Fyu Nw 9220,922 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
Arc Se 3217,164 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
83208315,601 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 30, 2007
Otz N 5514,292 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 12, 2010
83210311,589 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
83210211,034 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
Dck S 2511,022 ac
1988 · perimeter dated February 3, 2010
83200210,822 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
Btt Ne 4710,448 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
Fyu Ne 229,600 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
Salmon 2 W9,014 ac
1988 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
8320618,045 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
Cem Nw 257,638 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
8310166,306 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
8040276,299 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
Fyu Ne 223,921 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
8320733,718 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
8320543,518 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 20, 2007
8320763,016 ac
1988 · perimeter dated January 18, 2024
Gal N 352,774 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 19, 2007
Spike Se 62,002 ac
1988 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Btt Nw 651,775 ac
1988 · perimeter dated July 27, 2018
Fyu Nw 971,188 ac
1988 · perimeter dated April 19, 2007
Tal Sw 651,079 ac
1988 · perimeter dated February 4, 2008
Granite Creek42,201 ac
1987 · perimeter dated January 19, 2024
73207638,935 ac
1987 · perimeter dated January 19, 2024
Fyu Ne 9610,354 ac
1987 · perimeter dated March 14, 2019
Eielson9,636 ac
1987 · perimeter dated January 19, 2024
Cem W 448,775 ac
1987 · perimeter dated April 24, 2007
Fyu S 397,877 ac
1987 · perimeter dated April 24, 2007
Fyu Ne 477,469 ac
1987 · perimeter dated April 24, 2007
7310157,139 ac
1987 · perimeter dated July 27, 2018
Landmark3,897 ac
1987 · perimeter dated January 19, 2024

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.