The cost of fighting this summer’s Alaska wildfires has topped $300 million, and state and local officials say the final tally may not be known for years. The new figure also does not include the cost to Alaskans who saw their land torched and homes burned.
Through Nov. 21, the Alaska Division of Forestry recorded $224.9 million in firefighting expenses for 2019. The U.S. Department of the Interior has reported $72 million. The U.S. Forest Service — an agency of the Department of Agriculture — reported $7 million in expenses through Nov. 18.
Melissa Brown, deputy press secretary for the office of the Secretary of the Interior, said some wildfire costs may show up in later fiscal years, so the $72 million figure is not final.