The cost of fighting wildland fires in Alaska has increased by nearly 73 percent in a little over a week according to the most recent

update.

On Aug. 24, the total cost of fighting all wildland fires in Alaska was just over $29.5 million between state and federal funds.

Aug. 24 National Interagency Coordination Center Situation Report

Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 1, that number increased to just over $51 million.

Sept. 1 National Coordination Center Situation Report

- Swan Lake fire suppression costs increased from $26.3 million to $35.8 million

- Caribou Lake fire suppression costs increased from $200,000 to $1.5 million

- McKinley fire suppression costs increased from $1.6 million to $8.3 million

- Deshka Landing fire suppression costs increased from $750,000 to $2.9 million

Costs of three additional wildfires in Southwest Alaska have been added to the NICC report during the same time period — the Ethel Creek Fire, the Tokaina Creek Fire, and the Tokaina 3 Fire. All of the Tokaina fires are burning in similar areas, but are considered different fires. These are being classified as large fires being managed by a strategy other than full suppression and without a Type 1 or 2 Incident Management Team assigned, meaning fire managers are not suppressing the fires because they are either unsafe to suppress, or they're not a threat to communities. The costs of these management efforts are as follows:

- Levelock Fire fighting costs increased from $269,000 to $1.8 million,

- Tokaina 2 Fire fighting costs increased from $418,000 to $615,000,

- Tokaina Creek Fire has cost $13,000,

- Tokaina 3 Fire has cost $2,000,

- The Ethel Creek Fire has cost $151,000.

As of Aug. 30, Alaska has accounted for 64 percent (

) of total acreage burned in the U.S. (

) according to National Interagency Fire Center and Alaska Interagency Coordination Center data.