RED FLAG Warnings Issued for parts of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Florida
Some 770,000 acres are ablaze nationwide, with the worst hit state currently being Arizona where 3 major fires cover about 300,000 acres:
- Wallow Fire:
144,000233,000 acres [as of 3:00 PM MST, 22:00UTC] - Horseshoe Two Fire: 100,000 acres
- Murphy Fire: 40,000 acres
Wallow fire, which is consuming at least 144,000 acres near the New Mexico-Arizona state line is said to be the third largest in the state’s history.
Arizona fires have forced hundreds of residents to abandon their homes in several mountain towns.
Dry lightning is blamed for the Arizona wildfires, in line with FIRE-EARTH forecast posted on April 29, 2011.
The worst tornado outbreak in U.S. history
Forecast: Large-scale lightning outbreaks
Unfortunately, the worst may NOT be over yet. In addition to more tornadoes and violent storms this year and the next, FIRE-EARTH forecasts phenomenally large-scale outbreaks of potentially deadly lightning clusters throughout the United States.
Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product
Current HMS Fire and Smoke Analysis. Click image to enlarge. Source: NESDIS
Fires and Smoke Satellite Analysis: North America
Source: NOAA
Click image to enlarge critical area.
National Weather Hazards Map
Click Map to enter NWS portal.
Other Major Fires:
Alaska: 6 fires, 84,000 acres
California: 3 fires, 2,000 acres
Colorado: 3 fires, 25,000
Florida: 1 fire
Georgia: 1 fire, 166,000
New Mexico: 3 fires, 110,000 acres
North Carolina: 1 fire, 45,000
Texas: 10 fires, 40,000
Other Wildfire Stats
Year-to-date statistics
- Date: 2011 (1/1/11 – 6/6/11)
- No of Fires: 27,250 [FIRE-EARTH Estimate]
- Acres Burned: 7,000,000 [FIRE-EARTH Estimate]
Previous Record [National Interagency Fire Center]
- Date: (1/1/06 – 5/23/06)
- No of Fires: 40,214
- Acres Burned: 2,478,309
Annual Average [Based on figures provided by National Interagency Fire Center]
- Date: 9-year average
- No of Fires: 27,020
- Acres Burned: 937,610
Conclusion: The U.S. wildfires 2011 have so far consumed 8 times as many acres as the YTD annual average for the previous 9-year period, while the average number of fires has remained almost unchanged.
Related Links
post updated at 23:31UTC on June 6, 2011
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