National experts predict parts of the West, including southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, are at a higher than normal risk for wildfires this season.
A map of the Western U.S. shows three tendrils of red. One looks like a statue from Easter Island whose foot and tail cover Southern California. Its thin body extends across Nevada while its misshapen head reaches into the southern border of Oregon and Idaho.
Ed Delgado is with the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. He says, "For southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon, we do expect that there is a higher potential for significant fires this year, mainly because of the grass fuels that are available."
The red areas on the map show where the chance of wildfires are higher than normal. The majority of the West will likely have an average season. But the Southwest is a concern because of long-term drought, as are other parts of the West with lower than normal snow packs.
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