Today the Predictive Services section at the National Interagency Fire Center issued their Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for June through September, 2013. The above normal wildfire potential across California in June is predicted to spread during July, August, and September into all of Oregon and parts of Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and Montana, while the fire danger in the southwest will begin decreasing in July as the area enters their monsoon season.
With the extremely low moisture content in California’s live vegetation expected to get even lower throughout the summer, firefighters and property owners in the state should prepare for one of the busiest fire seasons on record, if the predictions are correct for the drought to continue.
There will not be enough firefighters to protect every house when fires move into an urban interface, so homeowners need to realize their responsibility to make their property fire safe.
Below is the Executive Summary from the document:
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“June
- Significant fire potential will be above normal for much of the interior mountains and foothills of California, the Sacramento Valley, and adjacent lower foothills as well as the coastal areas.
- Significant fire potential will increase to above normal in Arizona, western New Mexico, and far southern areas of Utah and Colorado.
- Significant fire potential will be below normal from Oklahoma and North Texas to Maryland, the south Atlantic States and Puerto Rico.
July
- Significant fire potential will be above normal over much of California, Oregon, south central Washington, western Idaho, and far northern Nevada. Fire potential will return to normal over Arizona, western New Mexico, and far southern areas of Utah and Colorado by mid July.
- Significant fire potential will remain below normal for the south Atlantic states and Puerto Rico.
August and September
- Above normal significant fire potential will continue in California, Oregon, southern Washington, western and central Idaho and northern Nevada, and expand into southwestern Montana.
- Significant fire potential will be below normal along the mid and south Atlantic states and Puerto Rico, and become below normal in southwest Texas.”
