Wildfire risk high in Southwest, northern Great Plains

Forecasters say Utah, Arizona and other parts of the Southwest could face more big wildfires this summer and fall, while hot and dry weather has also put the northern Great Plains at risk.

The National Interagency Fire Center’s four-month outlook released Saturday shows elevated danger of significant fires in parts of Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah, as well as eastern Montana and the western Dakotas.

Eastern Montana and western North Dakota received less than half their normal rainfall in June.

Fire danger also remains high on Hawaii’s Big Island for the duration of the forecast, which covers July through October.

A fire in Utah has burned 94 square miles (244 square kilometers) and was 60 percent contained Saturday. Fires were also burning in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington state.

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7/1/2017 2:20:39 PM (GMT -6:00)