EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article has been contributed by Jeffrey A. Berino CFEI, CCFI, B.S., AAS, Deputy Chief with Colorado's Lake Dillon Fire District, and a senior fire investigator for Pie Consulting & Engineering.
Virtually every federal, state and forest service agency across the nation is forecasting that 2012 is very likely to become a record year for extreme wildfire activity in the western and southwestern U.S., with the future heralding a year-round state of danger. Currently wildfires are burning in nine U.S. states, already inflicting heavy property damage.
Weather pattern influences, including last winter's dry, low snowpack season and abnormally high temperatures contribute to the impending danger. Another contributing factor is that this year's wildfires began before Wildfire Season officially commenced on May 21. In fact, before the end of February a call came in for the first wildfire of the year, which was caused by a lightning strike in the Southwest. Although most of us are looking forward to the monsoons in July for the relief of moisture, we also need to be aware that this rainy season produces hundreds of lightning strikes a day, at least some of which are powerful enough to act as an incendiary for new blazes.
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