Above-average snowfall and rain in the West this year, combined with an infusion of federal funds for forestry and fire prevention work, has afforded the region a reprieve from intense wildfires as the season begins.
Weather has played a key role. The West has experienced heavy snowfall and precipitation, including a series of nine atmospheric rivers in less than a month, according to information from the National Integrated Drought Information System.As of mid-June, observed water runoff in the West has been above normal, and forecasts indicate these conditions will persist.
The funds go toward everything from increasing firefighter pay by as much as $20,000 per year and having ground crews begin their work earlier in the season to conducting forest management strategies, such as thinning forests, removing dead wood and underbrush, or ordering small, prescribed burns when appropriate.The U.S. Forest Service has outlined plans to increase its forest treatment rates, including this year, when it plans to burn or thin nearly 4 million acres of federal land.
Lightning storms have also been more frequent. They are blamed for causing at least half of Canada's wildfires, including the massive fires in Quebec. "Over the last 20 years, we have never seen such a large area burned so early in the season," Yan Boulanger, a researcher with Natural Resources Canada, told Reuters."Partially because of climate change, we're seeing trends toward increasing burned area throughout Canada."
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