A recent dry spell has increased the risk for wildfires in Arizona and forecasters warn that the Southwest could be in for a busy season.
The National Interagency Fire Center released its spring and summer outlook and while most of the country will face normal or below normal threats, the Southwest will be ripe for wildfires in the near future.
NIFC spokesperson Jessica Gardetto says an arid winter and early spring could lead to trouble in May and June before monsoon season kicks in.
“Because there has been this precipitation deficit in the Southwest, and then there is that abundant dry fine fuels, there is a possibility to have an above normal fire season for the next couple of months,” she said.
Last year, a record 15,800 square miles of land burned and the federal government spent more than $1.7 billion fighting those fires.
Map provided by NIFC
