Brace for even more wildfires: Bad fire season roars into spring

With more than 8,000 wildfires reported across the nation so far this year – more than 2,000 above average – the USA's fire season is already off to a fast and catastrophic start.

The ongoing hot, dry conditions across much of the nation's southern tier, along with gusty winds, are contributing to an early wildfire season, which already got off to a tragic start, with January's deadly, costly LA fires and continued recently with blazes in the Plains, Carolinas and New York.

Looking ahead, fire danger is forecast to remain high this spring across much of the southern tier of the United States, with some of the worst conditions expected in the Southeast and especially the southern Plains, fire officials said.

Specifically, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), in an online report released last week, said that "significant wildfire potential will be seen throughout most of Texas and parts of New Mexico and Arizona, and several southeastern states through March and into April."

'High-impact' fire season

"Confidence is increasing in a high-impact spring fire season across the southern Great Plains," the fire center said. "The expected weather pattern and its impacts to the fire environment are of major concern, and at least weekly high-end wind events are plausible through March and April.

Spring can often be fiery across the Plains, thanks to ongoing windy, dry weather along with plenty of grasses and other fuels, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Spring fires are also common in the Carolinas, the North Carolina State Climate Office reported.

"Areas with normal and especially above normal grass loading will be most susceptible to unusually large fires," the NIFC said.

Tuesday forecast: Major storm threatens flooding, blizzard conditions, tornadoes across US this week

According to the National Weather Service, sustained winds, likely 15-25 mph, will lead to a critical risk of fires for portions of far southeast Arizona into southern New Mexico and far western Texas on Tuesday. The critical fire risk is likely to continue over the southern High Plains through the rest of the week, the weather service said.

Fire worries in the Southeast and Florida

Fire danger is also high this spring in the Southeast, from the Florida Peninsula into southern Georgia and the coastal Carolinas.

Most of the Southeast will start March off with unusually dry fuels for this time of year, the fire center said. The highest significant fire potential is expected to occur from the Florida Big Bend into western North Carolina because of impacts from Helene or other recent hurricanes, in addition to the longer-term dryness that has been the rule since hurricane season.

"Periodic rainfall will be counteracted by above normal temperatures and quickly receding water levels until the rainy season or tropical activity begins in earnest," the fire center said. "Lightning ignitions will be especially likely if drought carries into May and June for the swamps and coastal areas of the Southeast."

The timing for when conditions will improve is somewhat uncertain, but above normal significant fire potential is carried into April within the northern areas of Helene’s footprint. "Debris burning, increasingly receptive heavy fuels, and quick drying under newly opened canopies all could contribute to significant fire potential during hot and dry weather in late spring and summer, however," the fire center said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bad wildfire season roars on: Southeast and Plains face spring danger