Risk for wildfires is growing fast in the United States

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's wildfire forecast is out and we're sounding the alarm. Lincoln Riddle spoke with our long-range expert to break down where the fire danger is already rising and where conditions could escalate fast.

Transcript

00:00The risk for wildfires is growing fast across the United States.

00:05As drought rapidly expands in multiple parts of the country, dry landscapes are turning

00:09into fuel.

00:10And as spring and summer temperatures climb, the heat will only add to the threat.

00:15There's other things, trigger mechanisms like wind and things like that, yes, but drought

00:20coverage expanding pretty rapidly right now is not a good sign going forward into the

00:25summer and spring season.

00:27AccuWeather is forecasting 7 to 9 million acres will be scorched in wildfires in 2025.

00:3460,000 to 75,000 fires are expected in total.

00:38This spring, the fire risk is highest in the southwest and southern plains, where drought

00:43and frequent wind events are creating potent fire conditions.

00:46The fire danger is also elevated along the eastern seaboard, where last year's hurricanes

00:51left behind dry debris that's now fueling the threat.

00:55Florida just continues to be dry, not getting a lot of rainfall there.

00:59Still look for the southern Appalachians with all that timber on the ground from Helene last

01:03year.

01:04We've already seen a big fire in parts of South Carolina and North Carolina as well.

01:08Heading into summer, heat and drought will fuel fast-growing wildfire conditions in the

01:12mountain west.

01:13In these areas, lightning from dry thunderstorms could also be a concern.

01:17The northern Rockies, the central Rockies, the interior northwest, lots of growth from this

01:22recent winter and spring season, that will dry out.

01:25And my biggest concern, deep forests, more acreage burned going forward later on in the

01:30year.

01:31While the wildfire risk will remain very high in the southwest during the summer, monsoon

01:36season will reduce the threat as the season progresses.

01:39For the latest on wildfire activity around the country, keep it right here on AccuWeather.

01:43I'm Lincoln Riddle.

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