Policy

Hot summer, dry land: States prepare for busy fire season

In the West, states are finalizing preparations to avoid catastrophe.
In this Wednesday, July 18, 2018, photo, Tom VandeWater stands at the railing of the Coolwater Fire Lookout and looks through his binoculars in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests near Lowell, Idaho. VandeWater, from Canton, N.Y., has staffed the lookout each summer for many years for the U.S. Forest Service. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

State forestry and fire officials are gearing up for a potentially explosive wildfire season, as federal officials warn a drier than anticipated spring is likely to lead to a hotter than expected summer, a dangerous combination ripe for conflagration.

A new report issued by the National Interagency Fire Center, based in Boise, warns that Western states are likely to be particularly susceptible to wildfires this summer.

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