As many as 13 new large fires were reported across the nation
Sunday, the National Interagency Fire Center said. In all, 14
states, mostly in the West, are dealing with active fires. Does
it seem like wildfires in the United States are getting bigger
and badder? It's a question fire expert Max Moritz has been
hearing a lot lately. That's because the University of
California, Berkeley professor published a report on global fire
risks on June 12, just before the massive fires in Colorado
ignited. "In the long run, we found what most fear -- increasing
fire activity across large parts of the planet," he said.
Moritz's study concluded that some areas of the world, including
the western United States, "should brace themselves for more
fire." Nationally, wildfires have scorched about 2.2 million
acres this year. That's less than half the number in July of
last year. But the gap has been closing rapidly over the last
few days, said Ken Frederick, spokesman for the National
Interagency Fire Center. He said the United