Federal forecasters are predicting a very active fire season in large swaths of the West, beginning in the Southwest.
Much of southern Arizona and New Mexico are expected to see above average potential for wildfire in April, according to the most recent four-month outlook.
“We've had a very low snowpack, it's been very dry,” said Jim Wallman, a meteorologist at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. “That's why we expect our early start to the season there. So probably sometime later this month, it should really start to pick up [in the Southwest].”
But unlike other recent years, he said that a robust Southwestern monsoon is expected, meaning activity should temper in July and August. That historically common pattern frees up fire crews and other resources to respond to incidents as other parts of the West pick up. For example, the Northwest is expected to be very active come July.
No parts of the country are expected to see below normal activity, which Wallman said is “pretty unusual.”
Given that, he said it’s especially important for residents and visitors to be fire smart this summer when they’re enjoying public lands.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
