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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How generative AI is changing the way we write and speakIn The Spotlight ChatGPT and other large language model tools are quietly influencing which words we use
-
How long can Nato keep Donald Trump happy?Today's Big Question Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap
-
Easy Money: the Charles Ponzi Story – an 'enlightening' podcastThe Week Recommends Apple Original podcast explores the 'fascinating' tale of the man who gave the investment scam its name
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central USSpeed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslidesSpeed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Should Los Angeles rebuild its fire-prone neighbourhoods?Talking Point The latest devastating wildfires must be a wake-up call for Los Angels to 'move away from fire-prone suburban sprawl'
-
The worst wildfires in California historyThe Explainer Total damage from the ongoing fires could be up to $150 billion, according to AccuWeather
-
What happens to wildlife during a wildfire?The explainer Flames also affect the flora and fauna
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progressSpeed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
