032018 Fire

1990333,320 acresAlaska

The 032018 Fire burned 333,320 acres, about 521 square miles, across Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. It began on June 27, 1990.

Watch how it happened

032018 Fire · 1990

How it happened

See how severely each place burned, revealed outward from where it started.

About this replay
IgnitionJune 27, 1990Historical replay — order not recorded
Final area333,320 ac
Revealed—
Counties1

How severely it burned

Burn severity inside the final perimeter, classified from Landsat images taken before and after the fire.

Map of burn severity across the 032018 Fire
Burn severity by class
SeverityShareAcres
Moderatemixed: many trees killed, some survive11%36,983
Lowsurface fire, most trees survive37%121,848
Unburned to lowislands inside the perimeter, little change12%40,494
Increased greennessvegetation greener after the fire than before0.4%1,216
Not mappedcloud, shadow or water in the satellite images40%132,778

No part of the fire was classed as high severity; 11% burned at moderate severity.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (U.S. Geological Survey and USDA Forest Service). Classes come from the change in a Landsat burn index (dNBR) between images before and after the fire; acres are each class’s share of the fire’s mapped area.

Where it burned

Acres inside each county, measured from the satellite-mapped perimeter.

Acres burned by county
Yukon-Koyukuk Census AreaAK333,571

Other large fires in Alaska in 1990

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service). Type recorded: Wildfire.