2 Minutes Ago: Raging Inferno Engulfs America's Heartland with Unrelenting Forest Fires

Four forest fires in late February 2024 destroyed nearly 65,000 acres in Texas, USA. The largest of the fires started in Hutchinson County. According to the Hutchinson County Emergency Management, some structures were under threat.
As of 9:30 PM on Monday, the fire area in Coptilne Creek had already reached 40,000 acres. The Wheeler County Emergency Management warned people living between Mobeti and McLain to prepare for possible evacuation.
The Claude Fire Department requested mutual aid from the Texas A&M Forest Service and fire departments from Pantex and Panhandle. Another forest fire started in Masterson before crossing the Potter County line. As a result, the NPS evacuated Plum Creek campsites.
A series of forest fires ignited in late February in Southern Colorado, confirming firefighters' statements that the fire season in Colorado lasts almost year-round.
According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission, a large forest fire in Jefferson Davis County was 50 percent contained. The fire that started on Saturday had covered 1,500 acres by Monday. Officials stated that windy weather over the weekend made firefighting efforts challenging.
Natural fires have also occurred earlier in the season in the states of Missouri, Kentucky, Nebraska, Wyoming, and California.
Data from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) shows a steady increase in the burned area by wildfires. The duration of fires is also rapidly increasing.
Forest fires in the USA have shifted from a seasonal threat to a year-round danger. One reason for this is that some of last year's fires are still burning under the snow and can reignite in spring. In winter months, such fires can be noticed when it seems like smoke or vapor is coming from the ground.
For example, the wintered fire near Paradise Gardens raised concerns among local residents when, as they stated, "Strong smoke was billowing from there."
Researcher Jennifer Baltzer, a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University studying fire remnants, commented: "We observe stronger fires, we see large areas burned," she said.
The trends observed in the behavior of natural fires are deeply concerning and raise many questions. One of them is how sufficient resources and personnel will be available to combat fires in the next five years if natural disasters progress so rapidly. The most crucial question is what truly has such a significant impact on the climate and whether anything can be done about it. Find the answers here.