This map from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center helps put Alaska's wildland fire situation in perspective. pic.twitter.com/gQx8g2wkNs — AK Forestry (@AK_Forestry) June 24, 2015

More than 200 fires are burning in Alaska right now. That’s an even bigger problem than it sounds By Chris Mooney Following on a record hot May in which much snow cover melted off early, Alaska saw no less than 152 fires erupt over the weekend. A further increase since then had the number of active fires at 243 as of Tuesday — a number that appears to have risen still further to 278 Wednesday, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.

Following on a record hot May in which much snow cover melted off early, Alaska saw no less than 152 fires erupt over the weekend. A further increase since then had the number of active fires at 243 as of Tuesday — a number that appears to have risen still further to 278 Wednesday, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center.

All of which is troubling for multiple reasons: (1) Recent research suggests that more Alaskan wildfires, and more large Alaskan fires in particular, are a trend; (2) In some cases, wildfires in Alaska don’t just consume trees, grasses or tundra. They can burn away soils as well and threaten permafrost, frozen soil beneath the ground, and so potentially help to trigger additional release of carbon to the atmosphere.



“One major concern about wildfires becoming more frequent in permafrost areas is the potential to put the vast amounts of carbon stored there at increased risk of being emitted and further amplify warming,” said Todd

Yukon asks for help as forest fire starts far surpass all of last year George Maratos, spokeperson for Yukon Wildland Fire Management, says there have already been 123 forest fires in Yukon this season. That's compared to 32 forest fires during all of last year.

Canada and Washington State have sent firefighters to help in Alaska. Across the border in the Canadian Yukon about another 80 fires are burning.It doesn't stop there. Canada's Northwest Territories are also expecting a bad fire year too.

N.W.T. fires expected to flare up with hot, dry weather

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to flee a large wildfire, this surreal video shot in Siberia during April gives you a pretty good idea.





Basicly the whole top of our hemisphere is having a very bad fire year. Glaciologist Jason Box explains what's happening in the North to a Summit on the Arctic back in March:



