A great number of problems contributed to the destruction caused by the Great Fire of 1910. The wildfire season started early that year because the winter of 1909-1910 and the spring and summer of 1910 were extremely dry,[9][2] and the summer sufficiently hot to have been described as "like no others."[1] The drought resulted in forests that were teeming with dry fuel, which had previously grown up on abundant autumn and winter moisture.[10] Hundreds of fires were ignited by hot cinders flung from locomotives, sparks, lightning,[2] and backfiring crews. By mid-August, there were 1,000 to 3,000 fires burning in Idaho, Montana, and Washington.[5]