Five new large fires ignited yesterday, adding to the 29 large, active fires currently burning across the United States, as reported by the National Interagency Fire Center.
The majority of these fires, with the exception of one, are concentrated in the Western US and Alaska. California is facing the most significant challenge with 10 large fires, followed by New Mexico with 4.
Since the beginning of this year, close to 19,000 wildfires have ravaged approximately 2,100,000 acres nationwide. This figure surpasses the 10-year average of acres burned by this time of the year, which typically hovers around 1,400,000 acres.
Today, there is a possibility of more active fire conditions emerging. The NIFC's summary indicates that dry, southwesterly winds are expected to be forceful and gusty over parts of central and eastern New Mexico, extending potentially into western New Mexico and southern Arizona during the afternoon.