Latest news with #HortonFire
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When is wildfire season in Arizona? It's not so easy to define anymore. Here's why
Arizona entered 2025 with wildfires already blazing. The Horton Fire began in mid-December and was extinguished roughly a month later. Another fire was sparked a few weeks later, and Arizona's year-long fire season continued. Wildfires in Arizona were once expected from late April into the monsoon season. Now fires can start from late February or early March into September. 'Every year, depending on the weather or the conditions, we can see an extension of our fire season,' said Tiffany Davila, public affairs officer for Arizona's Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Here's what to know about Arizona's wildfire season and why these massive blazes are no longer just a seasonal issue. Wildfires in Arizona were once expected from late April into the monsoon season. Now fires can start from late February or early March into September, experts told The Arizona Republic. The U.S. Forest Service and many other agencies are shifting to the concept of 'fire years.' Rather, there is fire activity year-round but it increases during the end of April or beginning of May, according to Arizona's Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Larger incidents, more erratic and aggressive fires, tend to peak when there's a combination of hot air and windy conditions, and ease when Arizona is well into the monsoon. Fires start earlier in southern Arizona and later in the north; each ecosystem has its own unique relation to fires. The expansion of Arizona's traditional fire season is happening for a lot of reasons. Three main factors affect fire seasonality: Decades of fire suppression — not letting forests burn naturally — cause timber, grass and brush to accumulate and cause more intense fires. Where most fires were once started by lightning, they are now largely started by people. More humans in wild places mean both more chances of fire and higher stakes while fighting them. Multiyear droughts and more extreme weather events due to climate change are driving longer, more damaging fires. Arizona Republic reporters Hayleigh Evans and Shelby Slade contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: When is wildfire season in Arizona? Why it's not so easy to define
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
