00:00American homeowners just got a warning they cannot ignore.
00:03AccuWeather forecasters say up to 8 million acres could burn across the United States in 2026,
00:09one of the most dangerous wildfire seasons the country has seen in years.
00:14Between 65,000 and 80,000 individual fires are expected to ignite.
00:19The highest risk zones this summer focus on the southwest, Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Northwest,
00:27with California's threat building through the summer.
00:30The fires that do ignite are expected to grow faster and burn more land than in recent years.
00:35That means more smoke, more air quality emergencies, and more insurance claims.
00:41Wildfire smoke now regularly reaches U.S. cities 1,000 miles from active fires.
00:46Health experts say smoke exposure is linked to heart attacks, strokes, and premature births.
00:52Insurance losses from western wildfires have cost American homeowners tens of billions in recent years.
00:58And with drought covering more than 40 percent of the continental U.S.,
01:03forecasters are warning that any wind event across the plains or west
01:07could trigger a fast-moving firestorm within hours.
01:10The season is early, and for millions of Americans, especially in the west,
01:15it may only get worse from here.
01:17It may only get worse from here.
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