In what is likely to be Alaska's worst wildfire season on record, an estimated 1.88 million acres have already been scorched by 617 different fires this year. The fires have been so frequent and so widespread that smoke has made its way all the way down to the Midwest and parts of the South, and could be clearly seen crossing over the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of South Carolina on Wednesday. In fact, the smoke wafting across the landlocked U.S. states has been so thick it has even affected temperatures, lowering daytime highs in some states by a few degrees.
Alaska's record year of wildfires was likely sparked by the state's warmer than average temperatures, as the often snowy state had a relatively snowless winter and a fairly mild spring.
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