By 6/22, 372,000 Acres Burned In 10 Western States; "In June . . . It's What We'd Expect In August"

[hatrack]

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The latest wildfire comes as the American west is gripped by a historic drought, and as officials predict another record-breaking fire season. A heatwave has baked the region, intensifying drought conditions and ignition risks much earlier in the year than normal. Already this year, 33 large fires have burned more than 372,000 acres across 10 states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

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“Right now, in June, the dryness and the fuel conditions – it is what we would expect in August,” says Munsey. “It is alarming but it is beyond our control. So we have prepared as best as we can.” There’s hope that cooler weather, expected with higher humidity across the Bay Area in the coming days, will help slow the flames, but there are concerns that winds along the ridges will continue to drive the fire and complicate containment efforts. But with so many fires already burning across the west, resources have been strained.

In Arizona, a blaze named the Backbone fire that has burned more than 32,750 acres after igniting last Wednesday from a lightning strike is also at 0% containment. Temperatures there have exceeded 100F and thousands of residents have been evacuated north-east of Phoenix, in the communities of Strawberry and Pine.

“There are major fires around Arizona and Utah – all over the western United States,” Munsey says. “That becomes problematic when trying to get resources to whatever fire you are on because they are already stretched so thin.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/21/big-sur-wildfire-willow-fire