On the heels of a dry winter, firefighters around the US brace for wildfire risks

PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — 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.

More than 1,000 firefighters and fire managers recently participated in an annual wildfire academy in Arizona, where training covered everything from air operations to cutting back brush with chain saws and building fire lines. Academy officials say there is a consensus that crews will be busy as forecasts call for more warm and dry weather, particularly for the Southwest.

The lack of moisture and warm temperatures can combine to increase the rate of spread and intensity of fire, said Roy Hall, the prescribed fire officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. He says it has been dry in his state for months.

“We would be remiss to not acknowledge that changes how we might see fire behavior come out of the blocks at the beginning and through fire season,” he said.

Experts with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information reported in early March that total winter precipitation in the U.S. was just shy of 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) — or nearly an inch (2.54 centimeters) below average. The period of December through the end of February — what forecasters consider the meteorological winter — ranked the third driest on record.

Flagstaff, nestled in the mountains south of the Grand Canyon, has long been on the list of quick escapes for desert dwellers looking to build snowmen or go sledding. The northern Arizona city finished the winter period with a 50-inch (1.27 meter) snowfall deficit. A major storm hit the area in mid-March, forcing the closure of Interstate 40 and stranding motorists for hours. It wasn't enough to erase the shortfall.

In New Mexico, there were at least 17 sites that marked either their driest winters on record or tied previous records. Albuquerque set a new low by logging just 0.12 inches (0.30 centimeters) of precipitation over a three-month period.

“The tap just turned off and the drought conditions have been proceeding,” Andrew Mangham, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said during a recent call with state and federal drought experts.

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and other parts the Midwest already have had their share of red flag warnings — when low humidity couples with windy, warm weather to heighten wildfire risks. The danger materialized in mid-March in Oklahoma, where fires destroyed hundreds of homes. Crews in New Jersey and the Carolinas also battled flames amid dry conditions.

In the West, land managers and firefighting forces are concerned that without adequate snowpack in many mountain ranges, there's less moisture to keep fires from ballooning into fast-moving conflagrations.

April 1 typically marks the peak of the snowpack, but forecasters say many areas already are melting out. Strong spring winds that deposit dust onto the snowpack help to speed up the process.

Even southern Alaska is experiencing a snow drought at lower elevations, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. The Anchorage airport recorded its driest February on record, while large areas in southwest Alaska and low elevations in the south-central part were nearly snow-free as of March 1.

Recent storms brought some moisture to California, pushing snowpack levels there to just shy of average. But most of the southern region is dealing with moderate to extreme drought.

A new wildfire outlook was released Tuesday, showing above-normal significant fire potential from southeast Arizona into New Mexico, West Texas and Oklahoma. There is also above-normal fire potential forecast for southern Alaska along with parts of the southern Appalachians to the coast and down to Florida.

Come June, California will join the list again. In January, deadly fires there torched more urban area than any other fire in that state since at least the mid-1980s.

Seeing flames race through Los Angeles earlier this year prompted municipal leaders throughout the West to host community meetings to raise awareness, including in New Mexico's San Juan County.

The Four Corners region — where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet — is among those on the radar for high fire potential given the unfavorable conditions. Firefighters in San Juan County responded to 25 bushfires in the first 27 days of March and two more were reported on Friday, said county spokesperson Devin Neeley.

In Arizona, the Phoenix Fire Department have warned the mayor and city councilors about increasing risks. They have a plan for surging department resources to help contain fires before they escalate, particularly in areas where urban development intersects with wildland environments.

In neighboring Scottsdale, Mayor Lisa Borowsky recently floated the idea of creating a volunteer brigade to bolster wildfire prevention, pointing to invasive species and overgrown vegetation within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve that could pose risks. A fire department crew has been clearing and trimming brush along roadways.

Christopher Reed, a fire prevention captain with the Arizona forestry department, said some people think of wildfire as a “macro problem” that involves vast landscapes beyond their suburban borders. He said people should prepare on a micro level, ensuring their own homes are defensible before it's too late.

“We always say Day 1 of firefighting is now,” Reed said.

Students and instructors meet for a morning briefing Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Prescott, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Ty O'Neil)

Students cut and move brush as part of a chainsaw instruction class on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Prescott, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Ty O'Neil)

Students listen to an instructor during a chainsaw use class on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Prescott, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Ty O'Neil)

An instructor shows students how to sharpen a chainsaw on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Prescott, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Ty O'Neil)

An instructor explains the plan for a chainsaw class on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Prescott, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Ty O'Neil)

Vehicles move South on U.S. 1 highway as smoke from a brush fire enteres the sky near Homestead, Fla., on Friday March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jaqueline Larma)

In this March 23, 2025, photo released by the U.S. National Guard shows a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover executing its fire suppression mission in support of the South Carolina Forestry Commission at Persimmon Ridge Fire near Greenville, S.C. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

Students learn how to document wildland fire origin scenes on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Prescott, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Ty O'Neil)

Firefighter John Ward works to control the Black Cove Fire Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Alex Ovechkin for setting an “outstanding record” as the NHL’s all time top goal-scorer.

In a message after Ovechkin’s 895th career goal broke a tie for the record with Wayne Gretzky in the Washington Capitals’ game Sunday against the New York Islanders, Putin said the achievement was something Russians would celebrate.

“I congratulate you on your outstanding record. You have surpassed legendary masters in the number of goals scored in National Hockey League regular-season games,” Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin on Monday.

Breaking Gretzky’s record “has become not only your personal success, but also a real celebration for fans in Russia and abroad,” Putin added. “I wish you health, good fortune (and) fighting spirit to conquer new heights in life and in sports.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Putin and Ovechkin had not yet spoken by phone but that Putin’s message of congratulations showed the president “highly values Ovechkin’s sporting result.”

Ovechkin has been a backer of Putin in the past and in 2017 set up a group called Putin Team on social media to show support for the Russian president, who was re-elected the following year.

At the time, Ovechkin told The Associated Press and Washington Post, “I just support my country” and said, “It’s not about political stuff.”

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryev referred to that moment in his own statement of congratulations after Ovechkin broke the record Sunday.

He posted on social media that Ovechkin “remains a member of the Putin team and at the same time one of the main faces of world hockey, a favorite of millions and the NHL top scorer.”

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) waves to spectators as he leaves the ice after an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), lower center, is celebrates with is teammates after scoring against New York Islanders during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring his 895th career goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y., Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)