00:00Unfortunately, the table is set for fire danger to return to the northwest at the end of this week and
00:05early next week.
00:06Strong high pressure has drifted west with a heat dome over the Four Corners region.
00:11At the same time, we're watching an approaching low-pressure system coming in from the Pacific into the northwest as
00:18the weekend begins.
00:20That's going to be a squeeze play between the high-pressure system and the low-pressure system.
00:23Strong pressure gradient, that means stronger winds.
00:26And with low humidity, very dry vegetation, we're looking at a high risk for fires yet again Friday and Saturday,
00:33especially in the interior portions of northern California, Oregon, Washington, into parts of Nevada and Idaho as well.
00:41So this has been a tough fire season in the United States.
00:44We've had 3 million acres burnt beyond what we would typically see by this time of the year.
00:50So over 7.4 million acres have burnt.
00:52In fact, our long-range forecast team has increased the expected number of acres burnt to between 8.5 and
00:5810.5 million this year.
00:59As we get into the fall, fire danger will ease in the northwest, and it will spike in California before
01:05the arrival of the wet season.
