Through July of this year (2022), Alaska has experienced a record 530 wildires, burning an area about the size of Connecticut. And the worst of the fire season is usually in August/September, so the acreage burned is certain to go much higher. Even areas in the normally fireproof SW part of the state have experienced wildfires. Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska, states that “there’s been a significant increase in the amount of fuel available, and that’s from decades of warmer springs and summers in the region, direct result of a warming climate. And, of course, fires with more fuels available burn hotter. They burn longer. They’re more resistant to changes in weather.” While there’s been little loss of property, smoke from the fires has caused dangerous breathing conditions. In one case, two fires burning near Lake Iliamna in one day burned about 75 square miles of boreal forest, creating smoke and ash that strong winds transported hundreds of miles northwest to Nome, pushing the air quality index into the extremely unhealthy category.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/7/25/23277724/alaska-wildfires-climate-change