No Rest For Fire-Weary

The latest drought forecast from the nation's Climate Prediction Center is not good for communities across the West and Southeast United States, where it's been so dry even swamps are burning. Droughts are expected to persist in the regions where wildfires have been threatening homes and wildlife, producing lung-choking smoke and awakening many to the realities of climate change. While any one fire can't be linked scientifically to overall climate trends, scientists are confident that drier conditions resulting from decreased winter snow will result in more intense wildfires. The season ahead, at least, is expected to conform to those predictions, according to a story in the May 21 USA Today .