(CNN) 145,321 acres: That's the size of the largest wildfire burning this year, according to a map from Alaska Wildland Fire Information, the state's interagency effort to track fires.

The Hess Creek Fire has been burning since June 21 in the middle of the state near Livengood, about 80 miles north of the city of Fairbanks.

Livengood covers hundreds of square miles but has a population of only 13, according to census data.

"We're all socked in with smoke," said Sarah Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the firefighting effort on the ground. "It's a smoky mess."

Across the country, it's not as bad as last year

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