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.

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Wildfires in Alaska Impact the Globe

The Arctic is warming nearly 4 times faster than the rest of the world. Increasing temperatures in Alaska are leading to increasing wildfire acres burned, which is increasing vulnerable permafrost loss, which increases carbon emissions—creating an accelerating feedback loop 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Arctic Boreal Zone CO2 Uptake-Virkkala et. al 2025

OUR MISSION

Fire Adapted Alaska aims to create fire-resilient communities.

By integrating community-driven solutions, scientific innovation, and Indigenous knowledge, Fire Adapted Alaska works to safeguard lives, infrastructure, and our environment.

Alaska’s unique landscapes and ecosystems make it particularly vulnerable to the growing threat of wildfires. With longer fire seasons, more intense burns, and increasing risks to rural and urban communities, it is critical to take proactive steps toward resilience.

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