Wildfire season is already off to a dangerous start

Wildfire season in the U.S. has already begun with alarming intensity, with over 1.6 million acres burned—well above the 10-year average—prompting urgent warnings from experts. In this episode of USA Today's The Excerpt, host Dana Taylor speaks with John Rogan, a geography professor at Clark University, about the escalating risks driven by widespread drought, rising temperatures, and the looming influence of El Niño, which may exacerbate fire conditions in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest while potentially bringing relief to Southern California. Rogan emphasizes that the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed restructuring—including the closure of 57 research facilities and nine regional offices, and the relocation of headquarters to Salt Lake City—threatens to undermine critical wildfire research, data collection, and interagency coordination. He warns that these cuts could severely hamper the nation’s ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to increasingly large, fast-moving, wind-driven fires, especially in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where nearly 40% of U.S. homes are located. The discussion also highlights the urgent need for fuel reduction, prescribed burning, and stronger defensible space regulations, especially in light of devastating fires like the 2025 Palisades fire. Rogan stresses that AI and other tools cannot compensate for lost research data, and that sustained investment in science is essential for long-term resilience. The episode concludes with a call to action: communities, states, and federal agencies must prioritize wildfire preparedness, fuel management, and research continuity despite political restructuring. Rogan expresses deep concern that dismantling the research infrastructure will leave the country blind to evolving fire behavior, increasing risks for both frontline firefighters and the public. The broader takeaway is that climate-driven fire seasons are no longer seasonal anomalies but a persistent, growing threat requiring science-based policy, robust infrastructure, and proactive community planning. As smoke from distant fires affects even major cities like New York, the health and safety implications extend far beyond fire-prone regions.