The American West and wildfires seem almost synonymous. It can hardly be a surprise, then, to report that firefighters are battling significant blazes in nine states in that part of the country. At this writing, the total acreage consumed in the blazes is far in excess of that in all of Hamilton County. That total is certain to increase.
While some of the fires are partially contained, others are not. Current and predicted weather — hot, very dry and windy, in many of the hardest-hit areas — suggests that firefighters will remain on the lines for days, possibly weeks, to come. And while most of the fires are in sparsely populated areas, population centers have not been spared.
Consequently, thousands of people across the West have been ordered to evacuate their homes and businesses, and find shelter elsewhere. Several hundred structures already have been burned. Fortunately, there’s been little loss of life, but given the capriciousness of the fires and the winds driving them, that could change.
Fire and public safety officials in the West offer a mixed view of the situation. They’re extremely worried about the coming weeks and months. That’s because fire season is getting an early start. Typically, it starts later in the summer, not early June. They’re guardedly optimistic, however, about current containment operations. On Tuesday, officials reported:
• In California and Colorado, progress was being made against some of the larger fires, but smaller ones in isolated areas still posed a problem. There are worries, however, that high temperatures, low humidity, brisk winds and the availability of dry tinder could hamper on-going containment efforts.