The drought is not the only thing breaking records, the wildfire season is 40 days longer now than it used to be 30 years ago.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation puts the blame on the drought streak but also on humans. They say that in Montana, 60 percent of their wildfires are started by humans. The leading causes of fire escapes are debris burning, escaped campfires, and farm equipment. The department encourages everyone to take extra precautions this season as we still have a long way to go.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, more than 35,000 wildfires have burned more than 4 million acres. Almost 6,000 firefighters are assigned to incidents around the country. A lot of attention is on Alaska right now as eight new large fires have been reported.
Currently, 48 large fires have burned nearly 2 million acres in the state.
Related:
It has been an early start to the wildfire season
Wildfires plague agriculture in Alaska
The end could be near for New Mexico’s largest wildfire ever
Firewise: How to protect your house if it is in the path of a wildfire
