The Predictive Services section at the National Interagency Fire Center has issued their National Wildland Significant Fire Potential Outlook for June through September, 2012. If it is correct, firefighters in portions of Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Michigan, Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah could be busier than usual.
Significant Fire Potential
- Above Normal Significant Fire Potential is expected across most of the interior mountains and foothills of Southern California; the Sierras; much of northwestern and northern Nevada; southeastern Oregon; southwestern Idaho; much of eastern and northern Utah; south central and southwestern Wyoming; western Colorado; most of northwest, central and southeastern Arizona; western New Mexico; northwestern Minnesota; northern Michigan; and the west half of the Big Island of Hawaii.
- Significant Fire Potential will be or decrease to below normal this summer along the East coast from North Carolina to central Florida.
- The rest of the country will have normal significant fire potential.
The National Predictive Services map “red area” doesn’t match the SOPS Predictive Services “red area”. Mapping error.
The “above average” should include more (southern Sierra, Tehachapi, etc). I believe the problem exists in the placement of the “Y” on the map.
The middle of the “Y” should be placed on the “Tehachapi Mtns” and then the red area would align properly instead of crossing over the agricultural areas of the San Joaquin Valley.