🔥 This is not a normal spring. As our friends at Watch Duty shared, it's only March and fires are already burning across the Great Plains in places that would normally be too wet to ignite. Little snow, record heat, and Forest Service cuts are converging to create an incredibly dangerous fire season. Utilities are on the front lines. They're preparing, but risk is seemingly everywhere and budgets are tight. Here's where leading utilities are focusing: 🔎 Know exactly what's in your corridor. What fuel types are actually present, and how much? ⚠️ Find where risks converge. Where are there hazard trees, high-risk fuels, and aging assets? Start there. 💧 Model moisture scenarios. Fuels like grass, brush, and dead timber don't all burn the same way or at the same moisture threshold. Understand how your risk shifts as conditions dry out. 📋 Sequence your work. Visit the spans with high burnability and serious consequence first, before peak season. The early signals are here, but there's still time to get ahead of this.
Our WD staff meteorologist Pete recently talked to The Washington Post about the early signals for fire disasters this year. Here's what to know: ➡️ What’s happening: Fire season is starting earlier. Many parts of the west had a lack of winter rain and snow, meaning dry conditions, combining with strong winds and record March heat. The combo is accelerating how quickly fires can ignite and spread ➡️ What’s weird: Areas that are typically too wet to burn this time of year are already dry enough to catch fire. Last week's Morrill Fire in Nebraska burned 643,000 acres in a week—unusually large and fast for this early in the season ➡️ Why it matters: Fires may move faster, start sooner, and occur in multiple places at once. Early awareness and preparation are more important than ever Read the article for more insight - https://lnkd.in/efHDktJN