Forests were in flames across Southern Arizona last May and June - and forecasts indicate we could see more of the same this year.
"We're looking at another above-normal season for significant fire potential," said Heidi Schewel, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
Among the reasons for the elevated fire threat:
• Predictions call for unusually hot, dry, windy weather in the coming months.
• So-called fine fuels - such as grasses and weeds - are abundant in some areas and will ignite easily when dry.
• Some forest areas in Southern Arizona remain very dry - having missed rains that soaked other sites.
"A number of factors play in" to the above-normal fire potential, Schewel said. "One is that the drought is ongoing, and it's expected to persist and expand."
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Relatively abundant rainfall last year - slightly above the annual average - led to speculation that our area's long-term drought might be starting to wind down.
Schewel said it's too soon to draw such a conclusion.
"The recent precipitation did not significantly affect long-term drought conditions," she said.
In fact, last year's precipitation probably nurtured the growth of fine fuels that might later feed fires.
"It can be a double-edged sword," Schewel said. "When it rains, we see quite a bit of plant growth. Then, when it becomes hot and dry, the plants dry out" and become potential fuel for fires.
No fire restrictions are in effect now on the Coronado National Forest, but Schewel said restrictions could be imposed if hot, dry, windy weather sends the risk of fire soaring.
On StarNet: See photos of the Monument fire at azstarnet.com/gallery
did you know?
Eighty-two fires burned about 365,000 acres of the Coronado National Forest in Southeastern Arizona during last year's fire season.
Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@azstarnet.com or at 573-4192.
