Together, we’re building Alaska’s wildfire resilience.

Fire Adapted Alaska is a statewide initiative equipping Alaskans with the tools, knowledge and partnerships to mitigate and adapt to Alaska’s increasing wildfire landscapes.

Learn More

Wildfires in Alaska Impact the Globe

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world. Increasing temperatures in Alaska are contributing to a postitive wildfire and carbon emissions feedback loop. As Arctic temperatures increase, so do wildfire acres burned, which then increases vulnerable permafrost loss, which in turn increases carbon emissions—accelerating the feedback loop and leading back to increasing temperatures.

Summer Temperatures

The Arctic is rapidly warming and temperatures are increasing across Alaska, especially in regions where wildfires are increasing in size, frequency and severity.

More Info

Alaska Fire Science Consortium

Fire Affected Areas

Wildfires in Alaska are increasing in size and reburn intervals—the time between wildfires burning the same area—are decreasing. Over the past 20 years, Alaska’s average wildfire season has increased to over a million acres.

More Info

Alaska Fire Science Consortium

Permafrost Loss

The size, frequency and intensity of wildfires in Alaska threatens permafrost loss by burning through duff layers that would otherwise insulate permafrost from thawing. Alaska holds immense amounts of vulnerable carbon in surface duff and underlying permafrost.

More Info

NOAA-Arctic Report Card 2024

Permafrost Loss

Arctic permafrost stores about 1,500 gigatons of carbon, nearly twice the amount currently in the atmosphere. Yedoma permafrost is the oldest and most carbon rich permafrost, and Alaska is estimated to hold about 20% of the world’s Yedoma.

More Info

Yedoma Permafrost Domain-Strauss et. al 2021

Carbon Sources

Areas of Alaska that have previously been carbon sinks—meaning they store carbon—have started to become carbon sources. These areas closely align with vulnerable Yedoma permafrost areas and places with high severity wildfires.

More Info

Arctic Boreal Zone CO2 Uptake-Virkkala et. al 2025

OUR MISSION

Fire Adapted Alaska supports fire-resilient communities.

Alaska’s landscapes and ecosystems are vulnerable to the growing threat of wildfires. Through community-driven solutions, innovative research, and Indigenous knowledge, Fire Adapted Alaska is proactively building resilience to protect lives, infrastructure and our environment.

Learn More