In 2019, the Shovel Creek Fire grew rapidly and threatened nearby neighborhoods north of Fairbanks. The fire was started by lighting on June 21. After 39 days of burning, and $25 million spent on suppression the fire was put out and no homes or lives were lost.

The resulting burn scar is easily accessed and provides opportunities for investigating wildfire effects. Fire severity is a central topic of post-fire research and has implications for how a landscape changes after a fire, as well as for fire suppression operations.

Using the Shovel Creek Fire as an example of wildfire in interior Alaska, this story map aims to explain:

• What is burn severity?
• What are the drivers of burn severity?
• How is burn severity assessed?