Forest fire Across the United States, more than 1.7 million acres of land have been destroyed in the first three months of 2024, already more than half of last year's total.
There are currently three large-scale fires that are not extinguished. Alabama, missouri and floridaby National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC); On the other hand, the wilderness Firefighter This week, 23 other large fires were successfully extinguished.
There have been 8,433 wildfires in the United States so far this year, slightly below the average for the past 10 years. However, the number of acres burned is more than three times the normal number, according to NIFC. Last year, there were a total of 56,580 wildfires across the United States, burning approximately 2.7 million acres.
The largest wildfire occurred in Texas in February. Three people were killed, more than a million acres of land and thousands of cattle were destroyed, the most in state history.
Late last month, firefighters faced dozens of fires in Virginia, including one that burned hundreds of acres in Shenandoah National Park. In early March, large fires broke out in the upper Midwest and Plains region before rainfall was interrupted, at least for the time being. Towards the end of March, fire activity increased in the central Appalachians, with several large fires burning in West Virginia and Virginia.
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Fire warnings remain in effect for northwestern Texas, western Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas, southeastern Colorado and far eastern New Mexico, where firefighters say the fires are likely to be extreme or unprecedented. It has been warned that the spread and intensity of the outbreak is expected to increase.
Federal officials said this is just the beginning. „We're going to be busy. I can't say exactly where we are right now, but we're going to be busy,“ Alex Robertson, acting chief of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service, told The Associated Press.
Over the next three months, forecasters warned There is a significant chance of wildfires occurring in the Midwest, Southwest, Great Lakes region, and Hawaii.
There is below-normal fire danger from southeast Texas to the coast this month, but areas of the Florida peninsula remain under threat. The NIFC report said fire potential will increase in lower elevations from the Southwest to West Texas in May and June, and continue into July in southern New Mexico.
Fire danger increases in some areas of the northern Great Basin in July, and increases in dry areas of southern and western Hawaii from May through July. But a series of atmospheric rivers and a winter of heavy snow have kept fire chances below normal in much of California over the next three months.
country's One official is calling it an „ongoing wildfire crisis.“ This effort is further complicated by the fact that the Federal Fire Marshal's Office is finding it difficult to recruit staff due to low salaries and benefits.
Pete Dussick, who has worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 20 years, previously said, „We simply don't have the personnel to effectively fight these very intense wildfires.“ Independent.
“So it's really about the duty to protect civilians, communities, and natural resources. Until we place a reasonable value on the skill sets of our workforce, we're missing the mark as a country. think.“
This was announced by the U.S. Forest Service, which manages millions of acres of national forests. independent person On Tuesday, the agency, along with other government agencies, announced it aims to have 11,300 wildland firefighters in place by mid-July „in advance of the busiest fire season.“ . The agency said the number could increase further with the addition of other emergency personnel with fire management certifications.
„Overall, wildfire activity is becoming longer and longer lasting each year, starting earlier in the spring, lasting longer into the fall, becoming more intense and more complex to manage,“ the spokesperson said in an email. Ta.
„Periods of 'above normal' wildfire activity typically last 75 days longer today than they did 40 years ago.“
The climate crisis is increasing the threat of wildfires globally, with rising temperatures causing drought conditions. In the United States, fire season once lasted from about May to about October, but now large, unpredictable fires occur year-round.