Drought, Heat Trigger Pre-Wildfire Season Jitters | Sojourners

Drought, Heat Trigger Pre-Wildfire Season Jitters

A rare winter fire in Colorado's Rocky Mountains is fueling fears the 2013 wildfire season will be longer and more intense. Unusually high temperatures and wide spread droughts have contributed to the increase in wildfires. USA Today reports:

"The wildfire season's length and intensity is driven largely by how much snow and rain falls each winter and spring. Heavy, wet snows tend to delay the season by keeping the ground, grasses and trees wet. Even the weight of snow plays a factor in some fires: Tall grasses that haven't been squashed down like normal carry fires faster and hotter.

Put another way: It hasn't snowed or rained much and forecasters say it doesn't look likely to get any better."