From the southwestern U.S. to Minnesota, Iowa and even parts of New Jersey, it seemed that winter never materialized. Many communities marked their driest winters on record, snowpack was nearly nonexistent in some spots, and vegetation remains tinder dry — all ingredients for elevated wildfire risks. … A new wildfire outlook will be released Tuesday. While California isn’t among those areas facing significant potential for wildfires at the moment, deadly fires in January torched more urban area than any other fire in that state since at least the mid-1980s.

Other wildfire news:

• AP News: Silver Fire: Evacuations ordered as firefighters battle California blaze
• Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Years of severe drought, extreme dryness drive Arizona’s 2025 wildfire outlook