Fire season in California could start later; Northwest facing drought conditions

摘要

California and the Northwest are heading into a dry season that forecasters from the National Interagency Fire Center say could start later than usual but still pose “significant wildfire potential in parts of the West as the summer unfolds.” Wildfire forecasts are being closely watched by investor-owned utilities, particularly those in California that have amassed significant liabilities associated with intense wildfires over the past two years. “By late May and early June, California and the southern Great Basin (southern Nevada and into Utah), will see an increase in activity as fine fuels dry and cure,” a forecaster from the Idaho-based agency said Monday. But, unlike most years, "there could be a delayed start to the season in the higher, timbered elevations due to preexisting weather conditions and slower than average snowpack melting rates,” Bryan Henry, the acting program manager for Predictive Services, said.