When the smoke clears and the snow falls, wildfire management usually gets little public attention, but after Alaska's severe 2004 fire season, which was more threatening than usual to human life and property, many Alaskans wanted to question and comment on wildfire issues, Some were upset about fires that were not attacked at their onset and later became hazardous to populated areas. Although wilderness fires are a normal part of the Alaska summer, the average acres burned during 1994—2003 was 782,582, In 2004, during the state's warmest and third-driest summer on record, 696 fires burned over 6.52 million acres, according Rick DuPuis of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) Division of Forestry. DuPuis is the forestry division's coordinator at the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center on Fort Wainwright. The season set a state record for firefighting costs, about 106 million dollar , but the most salient fact for the public is that many of the fires were in close proximity to Interior communities and resulted in smoke-filled days, the evacuation of several subdivisions, and disruptions for residents and tourists alike.
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