Last year, wildfires in the United States burned over 8.9 million acres, the most since 2020 and well above the 10-year average, per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). With some regions of the U.S. experiencing higher temperatures and lower levels of rainfall, the NIFC is forecasting "above normal significant fire potential" in several parts of the U.S. through September.
The Trump administration's immigration crackdown could compound the risk of wildfires this fall.
On Wednesday, "two people fighting the Bear Gulch fire on the Olympic Peninsula were arrested by federal law enforcement," reports The Seattle Times. These firefighters were part of two firefighting contract crews that had been deployed to fight the fire, which, at nearly 9,000 acres burned, is the largest in Washington state. As of Thursday, only 13 percent of it has been contained.
