Wildland Fire

Smoke rises off of forested mountains while the sun sets in the sky
Smoke rising from the Riley Fire in Denali National Park & Preserve, June 30, 2024.

Paul Ollig, NPS

To report a wildland fire in Alaska call: 911 or 1-800-237-3633

Current wildland fires in Alaska's National Parks (as of July 15, 2024) -
*Other than the Riley Fire in Denali National Park & Preserve, fires listed below are burning in Limited Management Option areas, do not pose immediate risk to safety or property, and are in Monitor Status:

Denali National Park & Preserve
Riley Fire (#318) - 436-acre undetermined cause fire detected on June 30, 2024 near the park entrance. View news releases on the Riley Fire. Containment is at 100%.
Sanctuary Fire (#289) – 10-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 6/26.
Foraker Fire (#199) – 5,873-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 7/9.
Grizzly Fire (#254) – 32,196-acre lightning-caused fire.
East Toklat Fire (#278) – 12,418-acre lightning-caused fire near the east fork of the Toklat River. No acreage change since 7/2.
(View 6/27/24 news release on fires in Denali National Park & Preserve)

Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Eroded Fire (#194) – 359-acre lightning-caused fire.
Kichaiakaka Fire (#319) – 118-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 7/1.

Katmai National Park & Preserve
American Creek Fire (#143)– 4,650-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 6/30.
Naknek Lake Fire (#146) – 25.7-acre lightning-caused fire.
(View 6/25/24 news release, 6/17/24 news release, and 7/5/24 new release on the American Creek and Naknek Lake Fires).

Noatak National Preserve
Urgoon (#131) – 6,082-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 6/17.
Tututalak (#135) – 8,533-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 6/17.
(View 6/14/24 news release and 6/18/24 news release on the Urgoon and Tututalek Fires)
Uluksian (#340) – 51-acre lightning-caused fire.
Okotak (#341) – 9.3-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 7/5.

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Trout Creek Oil Shale Fire (#063) – 1.0-acre lightning-caused fire.
Silvia Fire (#190) – 5.0-acre lightning-caused fire. No acreage change since 6/20.
Beaton Fire (#241) – 0.1-acre human-caused fire.
Pittsburgh Fire (#281) – 32-acre lightning-caused fire; 0% active in tundra.
Van Hatten Fire (#191) – 15,646-acre lightning-caused fire which originated on BLM and has burned onto NPS land. Smokejumpers were demobilized from the fire after completing point-zone protection mission.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Current Creek Island Fire (#351) – 0.3-acre human-caused fire; no acreage change since 7/4.

Updated information on fires in the state can be found daily in the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center's Situation Report and on AKFireInfo.

Partner Links

Practicing the art & science of fire management in order to protect, preserve, & enhance park resources & values.

The National Park Service, Alaska Wildland Fire Management is committed to safety, science, and stewardship. The safety of firefighters and the public is the No. 1 priority of all fire management activities.

In Alaska, fire is a natural part of boreal forest and tundra ecosystems.  Fire helps release valuable nutrients trapped in the soil and rejuvenates the vegetation. Fire also makes new homes for many different species of animals by leaving standing dead and fallen trees. The Alaska wildfire season typically begins in late May and ends in late July. On average, one million acres burn statewide each year.

During the summer months we manage wildfires, preserve natural and cultural resources, and reduce the fire risk to park sensitive sites by making them Firewise. In order to manage fires safely and effectively, in the fall, winter and spring, we write, revise, and review our plans for fire management, fuels treatment, operations, strategies, readiness reviews, fire monitoring and more. We meet to discuss and put into action lessons learned and best practices. Year- round we make maps for the plans, the public, and firefighters. We are students of fire. We study fire behavior, fire weather and danger, and the effects of fire on landscapes, vegetation, and wildlife. We speak and write about how fire managers balance the risks and benefits of fire with our peers, public, and partners. We attend local, state, and national meetings and conferences to maintain and build upon our cohesive strategy with our partners. We train and train some more. We recruit and hire employees for the summer season. We complete administrative paperwork. Explore the images below for more information on NPS Alaska wildland fire management.

View NPS Employee Sharepoint site with training links and more.

What We Do

The NPS Fire Management staff in Alaska manage large and long-lasting fires by balancing the risks and benefits of fire. Committed to safety, science, and resource stewardship, the NPS works with the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service, State of Alaska Division of Forestry and the United States Forest Service to respond to fires as a team. NPS fire staff work with communities, local, state, federal and native organizations to ensure Alaskans and visitors are safe and our landscapes healthy.

Visit our Wildland Fire Facts to know more about our fire management program in Alaska parklands.

Below is a map of the Current Fire Locations and Perimeters. This is a live map, so data changes as new fires occur, grow or are declared out. Data for this map is provided by BLM Alaska Fire Service.

Last updated: July 15, 2024

Wildland Fire Highlights

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