The Miller’s Reach Fire, also known as the Big Lake Fire, was a wildfire that began on June 2, 1996 in an area around Miller’s Reach Road near Houston, Alaska, approximately 33 miles (53 km) north of Anchorage, Alaska. The fire burned over 37,000 acres (15,000 ha), destroyed at least 344 structures, and caused more than $10 million in damage to structures and property. The fire was at the time the most destructive in Alaska history, consuming more structures than all other wildfires in Alaskan history combined. 37 fire departments and 1,800 firefighting and support personnel responded to the fire. It took nearly two weeks to completely control the fire.