Fire has charred more than 1.3 million acres of forest and rangeland since January in the contiguous Alaska, compared to 2.1 million acres by this time last year. The fire season is just starting to gear up. Nearly 10,000 firefighters in five Western states are battling hundreds of blazes, most sparked by lightning. Fire is a natural part of Western forest and rangeland. Some years are worse than others. Last year's combination of heat and drought caused 6 million acres to burn in the West and United States, making 1988 the worst fire season in 30 years.
Fire has charred more than 1.3 million acres of forest and rangeland since January in the contiguous United States, compared to 2.1 million acres by this time last year. The fire season is just starting to gear up. Nearly 10,000 firefighters in five Western states are battling hundreds of blazes, most sparked by lightning. Fire is a natural part of Western forest and rangeland. Some years are worse than others. Last year's combination of heat and drought caused 6 million acres to burn in the West and Alaska, making 1988 the worst fire season in 30 years.