The West is burning. The early weeks of summer have been marked
by brutal forest fires in states like Montana, Wyoming, Utah and most
of all Colorado, where that state is grappling with the worst fires in
its history. According to the National Interagency Fire Center,
as of July 3, 45 large active wildfires were burning through 15 states,
and since January 1, fires have incinerated nearly 2.2 million acres
across the country. And while the weather has calmed
somewhat in recent days, allowing firefighters to get on top of some of
the worst blazes, the expectations are that flames will continue to
burn throughout the long, hot summer of 2012.
So why are so many wildfires blazing out of control? Blame the weather first—the unusually warm winter meant that the fire season started earlier than usual, while the lack of snowfall meant that dry forests literally became tinder waiting for a spark. Add in the brutally hot and dry weather much of the country has experienced so far this summer—the national weather map looks like a U.S.-shaped burn mark—and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for wildfires, often ignited by lightning or even tossed cigarettes, that will burn hot and long, destroying homes and forcing thousands to flee for safety.
So why are so many wildfires blazing out of control? Blame the weather first—the unusually warm winter meant that the fire season started earlier than usual, while the lack of snowfall meant that dry forests literally became tinder waiting for a spark. Add in the brutally hot and dry weather much of the country has experienced so far this summer—the national weather map looks like a U.S.-shaped burn mark—and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for wildfires, often ignited by lightning or even tossed cigarettes, that will burn hot and long, destroying homes and forcing thousands to flee for safety.
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