2015 Fire Season in Alaska — Unprecedented IDSS to support an Unprecedented Season

Unprecedented on many levels, the 2015 Alaska fire season ranks as the second largest in state history with more than 5-million acres burned. What made this season truly remarkable was not just the amount of land burned, but the number of fires, the nearly statewide extent of fire activity, and the close proximity of fires to population centers and other critical infrastructure. Also remarkable was the early and vigorous start to the season with more than 1-million acres burned before the end of June. It is the earliest such a milestone was reached in a season. The magnitude of impacts – which stem back into the winter season - necessitated multi-tiered decision support services from several National Weather Service offices.