U.S. Wildfire Risk Is Above Average For Southwest, Florida

Wildfires this summer are expected to be most severe in southwestern U.S. states, Florida, Georgia and in some parts of California and Nevada, forecasters said Monday. The summer 2017 fire outlook issued by the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise also said heavy winter snow and spring rains that flooded many Western states will probably delay the onset of this season’s worst wildfires. "In the broadest sense, some parts of the country with higher elevation could see a lighter fire year," said Ed Delgado, the office’s head of predictive services. "In other parts, there may not be a huge risk right now but things could dry out really quickly."