Western Fire Outlook Grim As Agencies Gear Up

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BOISE, Idaho, May 12, 2004 (ENS) - "Based on satellite data, wildfire management teams across the West are bracing for one of the worst fire seasons ever to hit the Rockies and Southwestern United States.

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the nation's support center for wildland firefighting, predicts another difficult fire season for most of the interior West in 2004. "We should be prepared for another severe fire season in the West," says Rick Ochoa, NIFC National Fire Weather Program Manager. Two large fires in California earlier this month started the 2004 fire season in that state three weeks earlier than usual.

Using data from a fleet of satellites that are streaming information on the snow pack, water level and vegetative cover across the country, scientists with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are also predicting a fiery season. They say March of this year was one of the warmest and driest on record. "Early snow melt means the fire season can start earlier and last longer, says Rob Solhberg, NASA and University of Maryland, College Park researcher." Like most western states, Colorado gets most of its liquid assets from snow. The lack of snow reserves this year pushes that state, and likely others, toward a harrowing fire season.

Two new large fires were reported by the NIFC this morning, one each in the Western Great Basin and Eastern Areas. Three large fires were contained, two in the Northern Rockies and one in the Eastern Areas. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming."

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