Latest news with #GreatPlainsInterstateFireCompact
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
As Greer Fire burns, here's what to know about Arizona's wildfire forecast
The Greer Fire in eastern Arizona is threatening communities in the White Mountains and while it isn't the first wildfire of the year, it ignited as warmer temperatures arrived in the state's high country. Arizona was warned earlier this year to expect a potentially destructive wildfire year because of an extended short-term drought that left forests and rangelands dry and brittle. 'This is one of the most critical years that we've seen in our careers,' John Truett, fire management officer for the Department of Forestry and Fire Management, said at a briefing in March. 'We're coming off several years of drought, and we're experiencing very extreme dryness in our vegetation this year.' Here's what to know about wildfires in 2025: Wildfires tend to pick up in March, with peak risk in April, May and June as temperatures rise, humidity drops and winds blow. The arrival of the monsoon can help ease the risk if it brings enough rain. In recent years, many wildfire experts have said the old definitions of "wildfire season" are less reliable because of rising temperatures and relentless drought. The Horton Fire near Payson started in January and burned nearly 9,000 acres. Preparing for the worst: In high-risk Pine Lake, Arizona is investing millions to keep wildfires at a distance Most of the state has faced extreme short-term drought since the end of the 2024 monsoon season. Phoenix had its second-longest dry spell on record with 159 consecutive days without measurable rain between Aug. 22, 2024, and Jan. 29, 2025. Snowpack across the High Country was well below average. Flagstaff Airport recorded 46.8 inches of snow since July 1, 2024, compared to an 83.7-inch average during the same timeframe. With a three-decade drought, vegetation across the state is increasingly dry and ready to burn. 'As we head into the hotter months, obviously the risk is a lot greater,' Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said at the March briefing. 'The Department of Forestry and Fire Management is making sure the state is well-prepared for another intense wildfire season.' The department has treated over 23,000 acres across Arizona since July — removing vegetation that fuels wildfires — and has a goal to treat 30,000 acres by the end of the fiscal year. The state also joined the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact in 2024, allowing Arizona to access fire prevention, preparedness and suppression resources from other participating states. Forest health: Fight fire with fire? Thinning forests is a start, but experts say it's time to burn more Truett predicts any fire start could turn into a large event and stress the state's resources. Despite the extreme risk, local and federal agencies are working to reduce fuel loads and fire risk while fighting fires quickly and efficiently when they inevitably start. With drought and heat conditions across much of the country, national resources will be strained. Truett said the department will be cautious in how it balances aiding partners across the west while maintaining staffing in Arizona, especially if there are multiple fires burning at once across the state. New firefighters: Training academy prepares wildland firefighters for Arizona's long summer of wildfires Despite federal funding cuts and widespread layoffs across agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, Truett says resource availability and staffing to address fire risk have not been affected. Fire managers are almost fully staffed, with seasonal firefighters joining Hotshot teams and fire engines. The department is on pace to have all its positions filled by the peak fire season. Both Hobbs and Truett urged the public to educate themselves and minimize fire risk. In 2020, more than 80% of Arizona's fires were caused by people. 'A lot of our starts are human-caused and those can be preventable. Just be cautious when you're out cleaning your properties, recreating and (using) towing chain,' Truett said. 'We just had a chain drag 20 miles and created 18 new fires, so that tells us the probability of ignition is way up.' Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and Email her with story tips at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Greer Fire burns in eastern Arizona, forecast calls for greater risk
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox issues wildfire executive order as Utah prepares for the ‘unexpected'
Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order Monday that seeks to bolster Utah's wildfire preparedness and coordination ahead of the anticipated fire season. The order establishes the Working Group on Wildfire Management, which will be composed of several agency heads, including Utah Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Ferry, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands Director Jamie Barnes and Utah Department of Public Safety Director Jess Anderson. They will be tasked with providing a report by June 1 that outlines areas of concern; coordination with city, state and private land owners; and improvements to evacuation planning. The report will also seek to identify "priority areas" for wildfire mitigation projects on state and, through possible coordination, federal land, and post-fire risks like debris flows, among other things. "This is about making sure we're ready before the next fire season begins," Cox said in a statement. His order is slated to expire June 1. The order comes less than a week after the governor said he was working on potential emergency declarations for some parts of Utah amid drought concerns in central and southern Utah. He hinted that drought-related executive orders could be issued when legislators return to Capitol Hill for a session in May. Most of Washington County and parts of Iron County remain in extreme drought, while another third of the state — including large portions of eastern and western Utah — is listed as in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Only a quarter of the state is either not listed under a drought category or considered "abnormally dry." These indicate that soil moisture levels are not ideal for most of the state, which is a potential problem. "Utah's low soil moisture can create conditions favorable for wildfires," the order states. "Unpredictable factors, such as weather, can impact fire activity and may cause the rapid growth of wildfires." Long-range outlooks don't offer many favors, at least for the start of summer. While the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center projects a wet end to April for Utah, its latest report lists the state as having greater odds for below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures in May. Its three-month outlook leans toward slightly drier conditions for most of the state between May and July, aside from the very southern end of the state, which is listed as having "equal chances" for precipitation. Even then, early monsoonal storms could produce lightning before conditions improve across the driest part of the state. That's where early planning comes into play. Cox's order comes after the state passed a few wildfire-related bills in the 2025 legislative session, including one that put Utah on track to join the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact, which would allow it to share resources with other member states. Those legislative conversations took place as state leaders looked to find ways to avoid repeating the catastrophic fires that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed over 15,000 structures in Southern California earlier this year. Meanwhile, state fire experts have warned about unpredictable fire conditions that can last before and after the typical summer months. 'When it comes to wildfires, the unexpected has become the new normal,' Barnes said. 'Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our planning efforts can help reduce risks to watersheds and landscapes across the state — and strengthen our overall wildfire preparedness.'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Dozens of wildfires burn across Missouri, Kansas as fire danger continues this week
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An extreme fire danger continues to affect all counties across Kansas this week, and Missouri is also under a high fire danger this week. In Missouri, there were more than 40 wildfires burning across the state as of Monday morning. In Kansas, there were four — one burning across 1,500 acres east of Winfield and another spanning 1,200 acres west of Dover. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV The Kansas Forest Service warned of the continued fire risk this week Sunday night on Facebook. 'This week brings continued high fire danger across the state,' the Forest Service said. 'Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of fire season.' In preparation for the fire danger this week, the Forest Service said it's coordinated with the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact to bring in reinforcements from out of state — including Wyoming and Utah. Residents should avoid burning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislature day 13: Debates on imitation rifles, stalking and immigration you don't want to miss
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The wheels at the Utah Legislature continue to turn as standing committees are set to debate bills tackling imitation rifles, stalking, and immigration. Here are bills, votes, and hearings from Day 13 you don't want to miss. Since the start of the 2025 General Session, the legislature has passed a total of 26 bills. Many of these include the several appropriations bills that are necessary for the government to be funded. Other bills of note that have passed are S.B. 30, which allows the governor to enter the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact. Another is changing how petitions are gathered and administered and S.B. 18 also has passed, which would prevent donations to federally focused political organizations during a legislative session. In today's voting sessions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., several bills of note are advancing through the reading calendar. Despite several bills moving through floor votes, pending votes have remained the same since yesterday. In the Senate, a new version of the controversial public labor union bill is anticipated to be coming. However, the bill has not moved yet from the Senate's final reading calendar, along with bills affecting how candidate names appear on ballots, and how they are mailed. Also pending is S.B. 142, which seeks to put more parental controls on apps that children download and require app stores to verify age. Waiting to be added to the calendar is a bill that would overrule a trial court injunction if the case in question was filed with the Utah Supreme Court. Passing committee yesterday, S.B. 204 moved on to a second reading in the Senate. Its sister bill, S.B. 203, which narrows who has standing on a case, failed to pass through committee and will not move on. Also waiting for assignment is S.B. 126, which seeks to ban the 'release, injection, or dispersing' of chemicals to cause 'solar geoengineering.' Passing unanimously in committee, it moves on to the Senate floor for a vote. In the House, several bills are waiting for passage, but H.B. 81 — the bill seeking to remove fluoride from Utah's water systems — has picked up passing a resolution supporting the bill. It remains on the final reading calendar in the house, and if approved will still need to be voted on in the Senate. Starting the day at 8. a.m. are the various appropriations subcommittees. The first is the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee. Early in the meeting, we are expecting to see several funding requests from Pro-Life Utah, and various other requests relating to children. The next is the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, which will be hearing several requests including horse racing in Utah, ai-enabled wildfire detection cameras, and wetland restoration. Finally, the will be hearing funding requests related to the recent audit reports of the Attorney General's office, and other bills seeking to be passed in the legislature. Moving onto the standing committees, which are set to start at 3:40 p.m., the first we are watching is the House Judiciary Committee. Debate is set for review of H.B. 183 — or Noncitizen Restricted Person Amendments — which is a bill that would restrict those who are seeking asylum or under temporary protected status from purchasing firearms. Debate is also set for H.B. 92, which modifies citizen arrest laws in Utah, and H.B. 287, which clarifies seeking protection of an individual's business interests. Next is the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee, which will be debating H.B. 187, which would make it illegal to alter 'toy, look-alike or imitation' firearms, and create a criminal offense for minors who possess such altered imitation firearms. Moving on to the House Transportation Committee, a debate is set for three bills we are watching. The first is S.B. 62, which seeks to explore bringing a spaceport to Utah. The second is H.B. 349, which is seeking to promote organ donation through awareness about the program. The final bill is H.B. 308, which seeks to allow driving minors to drive with passengers other than their immediate family. For updates on the 2025 General Session, make sure to visit Inside Utah Politics! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
