One of the 37 tundra fires that burned in Noatak National Preserve in the summer of 2010. The Kaluktavik River fire (Fire #561) burned more than 23,000 acres (9,300 ha) in July. Photo from Alaska Park Science.

Excerpt from: Higuera, P., Barnes, J., Chipman, M., Urban, M., and F.S. Hu. The Burning Tundra: A Look Back at the Last 6,000 Years of Fire in the Noatak National Preserve, Northwestern Alaska. Alaska Park Science 10 (1):  36-41.

More than 5.4 million acres (2.2 million hectares) of Alaska tundra have burned over the past 60 years, indicating its flammable nature under warm, dry weather  conditions. Tundra fires have important impacts on vegetation composition, permafrost dynamics, nutrient and carbon cycling, and wildlife populations. Despite the impacts of tundra burning, relatively little is known about natural variability in fire  occurrence and links to climate and vegetation change….

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