In 2004, Alaska suffered its worst wildfire season on record. Heat, dry conditions and lightning strikes combined to produce 701 fires and a staggering 6,590,140 acres burned — “more than 8 times the 10 year acreage average,” according to the state’s Division of Air Quality.
It’s still early, but this wildfire season — which leapt into high gear after lightning strikes ignited more than 150 fires in Alaska over the weekend of June 21-22 — is starting to prompt sober comparisons with 2004.
As the Alaska Division of Forestry noted Saturday, there were 216 fires in June 2004, scorching of 1,153,258 acres; this June has (as of that date) already seen 391 fires and the burning of 1,181,061 acres. For the month of June, at least, 2015 is now worse than 2004.
I also heard from a former U.S. Forest Service smokejumper, Nicky Sundt, who fought fires in Alaska and now works for the World Wildlife Fund. Sundt was definitely worried about 2015 surpassing 2004 — and noted that a lack of fire-fighting resources could play a key role in helping that happen. “The extraordinary magnitude of what already has unfolded in Alaska is by itself alarming,” he said by email. “Far more worrisome is the fact that less than 15% of the fires are staffed. The other fires will keep burning up millions of additional acres between now and the end of the fire season, which could extend well into August.”
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