This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Record high temperatures in Phoenix this past week approached 120 degrees F and grounded commercial air flights. They are part of a larger regional trend: Across the West, hot, dry conditions are cooking up what may be an unmatched wildfire season. Already, 75 wildfires have burned in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The National Weather Service currently has the region under heat warnings and excessive heat warnings. Fifty-five fires have burned in Arizona and New Mexico alone.
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Yellow pins indicate states where fewer than 10,000 acres are burning. Red pins indicate... Read more
