Western US braces for fiery Fourth

USA Today

7 hours ago

As the Wolf Fire roars in Southern California, much of the rest of the U.S. is bracing for one of the most wildfire-prone times of the year.
As the Wolf Fire continues to char hundreds of acres in southern California, forcing evacuations, much of the rest of the U.S. is bracing for one of the most wildfire-prone times of the year.
Why is this?
"There is a huge spike in the number of human-caused wildfires in the United States around the 4th of July holiday, related to the improper use of fireworks," AEM senior meteorologist James Aman told USA TODAY in an e-mail.
He said the highest concentration of wildfires caused by fireworks occurs in the western half of the U.S., mainly in national parks, national forests and certain other rural areas. "Other smaller clusters of wildfires caused by fireworks are seen around some large U.S. cities, and in national parks and forests in the eastern U.S."
Weather isn't helping
Weather isn't helping matters.
"Heat will build over the Intermountain West and the Southwest the next couple of days," the National Weather Service said in an online forecast June 30. "Lightning from dry thunderstorms can create new fire starts and combined with gusty winds may cause a fire to rapidly grow in Oregon and northern California."
The weather service in northern California also said that "given the long stretch of dry and hot and very conditions, lightning efficiency will be high to very high for fire starts. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly."
A red flag warning has been issued for much of northern California and north-central Nevada: "A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior."
Latest wildfire numbers
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of June 30, there were 26 large uncontained fires being suppressed across the country, with nearly 6,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel assigned. Several crews also are on assignment to battle critical fires in Canada.
"Several geographic areas in the U.S. are seeing hot, dry conditions and dry fuels, increasing the potential for new ignitions and large fire growth," the fire center said in an online report.
In addition to those 26 fires, another 48 fires also are being managed, mostly in Alaska. Nationwide, the number of wildfires this year – 33,552 – is running nearly 8,000 ahead of the 10-year average year-to-date of 25,648.
The amount of acres burned so far is very close to the 10-year average.
Most of the fires - 67 - are burning in Alaska. In the continental U.S., New Mexico and Arizona both are battling three large fires, and one large fire is burning in Utah.
More: Critical reservoirs Lakes Mead, Powell hit 'alarmingly low levels' again
Wildfire worries ongoing
The severe drought conditions will intensify wildfire risks in the West, a recent report from environmental risk firm AEM said.
Areas such as California, the Great Basin and the northern Rockies are projected to face "above-normal fire potential throughout the summer months, further straining firefighting resources and endangering communities," AEM said.
'This summer will bring a dangerous combination of heat, dryness, and fuel buildup that elevates wildfire risks across North America,' said Aman, in a statement. 'We're already seeing an above-average number of wildfires in the U.S., with similar trends north of the border.'