A Regional Approach to Fire History in Alaska

Emphasis is now shifting from statewide forest fire control by one organization to regional fire management by a variety of land owners with varying management goals. This change is accompanied by a growing interest in fire history and a need for statistical data that can be used in fire management planning. Statistical data previously reported for wildfire in Alaska were collected for administrative reasons related to fire control and are unsuitable for fire history use in the format usually presented. The authors of this report have organized the available forest fire statistical data according to recognized geographical regions of Alaska to demonstrate that fire data can be stratified in meaningful ways to aid in management decisions. There are ten maps showing fire locations, lightning fires/million acres, percent of each physiographic province burned, and mean fire size.