Most of Alaska’s active wildfires pose no threat, authorities say
Wildfires are raging across many Western states, causing death, evacuations and massive efforts to contain the blazes. And though more than a dozen fires are burning in Alaska, the situations isn’t nearly as dire.
For much of the summer, national news outlets have featured stories on the record-setting fire season scorching much of the Lower 48 (states excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
Amid that coverage, on Tuesday one of NPR’s newscasts mentioned a startling figure about Alaska.
“The National Interagency Fire Center says there are at least 106 large wildfires actively burning in the U.S.,” host Korva Coleman announced. “Alaska has the most, with 17.”
Large fires not a worry
While that is technically true, there is an important caveat.
“I think the key thing to look at is that none of those fires are staffed,” Alaska Division of Forestry director Chris Maisch explained.
Most of the fires burning in Alaska currently are far out in wilderness, and not a threat to communities, life or property. There is no need to send out fire crews to try containing them. The majority of the fires were started by lightning, and in cases like these, officials keep track of them but otherwise let nature run its course.
“Alaska’s a bit different,” Maisch said, comparing the wildfire approach to how they are handled in other states. “We have a lot less population so we can let a lot of fires play the natural role that they do.”
Mild fire season
According to Maisch, overall the state has seen about half the number of wildfires it gets in an average season, with significantly less acreage burned.
“It’s actually one of our lowest years in the last ten years,” Maisch added.
In fact, it is the third year in a row with a low fire season for the state. But Maisch cautions that according to the law of averages that could portend a summer more like what’s happening in California and other parts of the west in the near future.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Large forest fire forces highway closure in Northwestern Canada, CBC News
Finland: Finland’s drought ends with violent storms, Yle News
Norway: Arctic Europe’s July records melted under extreme temperatures, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Forest fires are raging across the Barents region, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish opposition draws ten-point plan for crisis preparedness after massive wildfires, Radio Sweden
United States: Alaska’s firefighters are ready for wildfire season, Alaska Public Media