Fire Management Plans Granite Creek Fire, near Delta Junction,
Alaska Role of Fire in the Alaskan Environment Fire has been a
natural force in the Alaskan Interior for thousands of years. It
is a key environmental factor in these cold-dominated
ecosystems. Without fire, organic matter accumulates, the
permafrost table rises, and ecosystem productivity declines.
Vegetation communities become much less diverse and their value
as wildlife habitat decreases. Even some of the plant and animal
species normally associated with later successional stages will
find the environment unsuitable. Fire rejuvenates these
ecosystems. It removes some of the insulating organic matter and
results in a warming of the soil. Nutrients are added both by
ash from the fire and increased decomposition rates. Vegetative
re-growth quickly occurs and the cycle begins again. An
occasional fire may be critical for maintaining the viability of
northern ecosystems, yet fire can also be a threat to human life
and property. The realization that