In July 2025, lightning-triggered wildfires near the Kobuk River in Northwest Alaska threatened local homes and the tundra ecosystem. The author returned by small plane to set up firebreaks and sprinkler systems with fire crews to protect his sod house and surrounding caribou habitat.

This marks the first summer that the weather service in Alaska has issued heat advisories to share with residents what they can do to mitigate hot conditions. Climate scientists say those notices are likely to become common.

The fires have forced thousands of Canadians to flee their homes and sent smoke as far as Europe.

Anchorage experienced an unusually low-snow December in 2024, with only 1.9 inches recorded, contrasting sharply with the heavy snowfall of the previous year and creating ideal conditions for ice skating but challenging ones for skiing.

The areas that could see particularly severe rainfall as the large plume of moisture heads toward land will likely stretch from the south of Portland, Oregon, to the north of the San Francisco area.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Monday morning, saying that water gauges indicate the Suicide Basin had started to release into Mendenhall Lake.

The man’s travel companions lost sight of him after he fell into a stream and was swept into a vertical opening in the ice, Alaska State Troopers said.

The plume is expected to persist in the region for at least 18 hours, according to an advisory issued Tuesday morning. 

The Alaska Railroad believes between 800 and 1,000 gallons of fuel were spilled, according to a situation report released Monday by the state.

In Anchorage and Mat-Su, schools shifted to remote learning due to dangerous icy road conditions caused by freezing rain, leading to transportation disruptions and multiple accidents.

Other new fires were reported near the Eureka Roadhouse along the Glenn Highway and near the Denali Park community. Forty new fires were reported Thursday.

The National Weather Service has issued its first-ever heat advisory for Alaska, covering Fairbanks as temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-80s this weekend.

A fuel tanker crashed Friday off Highway 101, spilling some 3,000 gallons of fossil fuels into Indian Creek. The creek is a tributary of the Elwha River, which has for years been a model for salmon recovery efforts.

With wildfires spreading in the Kobuk River country of Northwest Alaska, I just knew I needed to find a way to get home.The Nuna fire is burning still, pushed north by strong southerly winds. There has been some rain, not a lot. I remain concerned about my home. I’m worried about the caribou, too, and what brush will revegetate that tundra after these fires. I’m worried about that beautiful big land between the Jades and Onion Portage, the Hunt and Nuna river valleys.

A tsunami warning that was later downgraded was issued for several coastal communities after the earthquake struck south of Sand Point.

A 36-year-old woman was seriously injured in a suspected brown bear attack near her home on Chinook Drive in Kenai early Tuesday. Authorities are searching for the bear and urging residents to stay vigilant and secure attractants.

Unusually strong winds in Point Hope, Alaska, caused widespread power outages, prompting over 200 residents to seek shelter at a local school, while poor weather conditions delayed the arrival of a lineman to restore power.

Up to 1,000 gallons of water used in mining operations reached a creek and tundra, as an estimated 400,000 gallons spilled into containment areas and a gravel road.

It appeared that the plane had landed near a glacier on the partially frozen lake, broke through the ice as it rolled to a stop and then began to sink. It wasn’t known if the pilot landed intentionally on the lake thinking the ice was more solid than it was, or whether a mechanical issue forced the plane down.

Two people were swept under the ice on the Big Susitna River on Thursday morning while three others were able to reach safety, Alaska State Troopers said.