Teams competing in Alaska’s famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race know to be prepared for blizzards, sub-zero temperatures, and gale-force winds. Competitors in the 2025 race, however, were forced to add wildfires to their already treacherous list of extreme conditions in the race.
The race was moved to its northern route in early March after the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection declared an early wildland fire season, requiring burn permits starting March 17 instead of April 1, according to the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service.
Alaska’s most populous areas in the Kenai Peninsula and the Mat-Su Valley had two fires spread in snow-free grasses before the Iditarod’s 1st place racer crossed the finish line.
“The risk of human-caused fires has become evident, with at least 17 requiring a response as of April 6,” the Service said. “Most were the result of negligent burning, emphasizing the critical importance of ensuring that burn piles are monitored, keeping fire tools on hand, and never leaving a fire unattended.”
The state’s official first wildfire of the year was the result of an escaped burn set by a Mat-Su resident who was later found to be in violation of Alaska law regarding the “uncontrolled spread of fire,” according to the region’s local newspaper.
Early snowmelt is largely to blame for increased wildfire risk throughout the state, according to recently published research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Each of the state’s largest and most extreme wildfire seasons was preceded by early snowoff, accompanied by large-scale climate patterns that keep a high pressure over the state.
“Three of Alaska’s four largest wildfire seasons occurred during years with earlier than average snowoff dates,” the researchers found. Many Alaskans will remember these seasons. In 2004, 6 million acres burned, and another 4.4 million acres burned the next year. In 2015, 5.1 million acres burned. Years with early snowoff were also responsible for more than half of the historical area burned in Alaska.”
