- Slug: Wildfire lookahead
- Runtime: 1:05
- Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download)
THE WILDLAND FIRE OUTLOOK SHOWS THE NUMBER OF FIRES AND ACRES BURNED SO FAR THIS YEAR IN THE U-S ARE NEARLY DOUBLE THE TEN-YEAR AVERAGE. AND MORE WILDFIRES ARE EXPECTED THIS YEAR. CRONKITE NEWS’S ALEXANDRA MORA MEDINA REPORTS ON WHAT ARIZONANS SHOULD PREPARE FOR.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
THE FIRE FORECAST FOR ARIZONA THIS MONTH INTO JUNE ISN’T LOOKING GOOD. THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER IN BOISE, IDAHO FINDS THAT SOUTHEAST ARIZONA MAY BE THE FIRST PART OF THE STATE TO SEE SIGNIFICANT WILDFIRES THIS MONTH.
MICHAEL CRIMMINS IS WATCHING THIS CLOSELY. HE’S A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AND A CLIMATE SPECIALIST.
“we’re gonna have a lot of other grasslands that might burn early in the spring. As we get later right up into the monsoon, we might see that fire risk move up into the high country.”
NICK NAUSLAR IS A METEOROLOGIST AT THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER. HE SAYS ANOTHER YEAR OF DROUGHT AND A DRY WINTER HAS INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT’S READY TO BURN.
“grasses and shrubs, along with the drier trees in timber that are more conducive for above normal, significant fire potential heading into kind of spring and early summer.”
NAUSLAR SAYS HE EXPECTS TO SEE MORE ACTIVE THAN NORMAL FIRES THIS YEAR. FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE ALREADY HAD TO PUT OUT SMALL FIRES IN THE TONTO NATIONAL FOREST AND ARE DOING PRESCRIBED BURNS TO LESSEN THE THREAT OF FIRE.
ALEXANDRA MORA MEDINA, CRONKITE NEWS.