Phoenix hit 90 degrees during the last week of February, and it was 89 in southern Arizona, temperatures normally not seen until late March.

Late February also saw the high hit 70 degrees in northern Arizona, which averages 49 degrees this time of year.

The hotter temperatures combined with record-low rain and snowfall have fire officials worried about a longer wildfire season.

Flagstaff got just 26.6 inches of snow, which was better than the 11.2 inches from this time last year but well below the average of 65.5 inches, while Mount Lemmon has recorded 34 inches of snow compared to its average of 60-96 inches. The greater Tucson area’s 1.4 inches of rainfall was well below the average .84 inches.

“We have seen fire season become fire year,” said Randi Shaffer, public information officer with the Coconino National Forest.

Without the precipitation, trees and other vegetation will dry out, making it easier for fires to ignite and spread. 

“There is not as much moisture as we want for the fire season. The drier winter elevates faster and longer fire seasons,” said Tucson National Weather Service meteorologist Kiera Malarkey. “The drought is forecasted to continue and last longer after the summer months.”

The U.S. Forest Service, along with the Arizona Department of Transportation, are working together to remove dead brush along the roads to minimize fire potential. 

The wildfire forecast comes after last summer’s active season that included the lightning-sparked Dragon Bravo Fire in Flagstaff, which burned 144,000 acres, forcing the north rim of the Grand Canyon to close for months. Thousands of residents were evacuated from nearby communities.  

The Coconino National Forest Service knows what a wild wildfire season can mean in June 2022. The Pipeline Fire in Flagstaff near Schultz Pass burned through 26,771 acres after somebody burned used toilet paper 80 yards from the campsite. At the same time, lightning caused the Haywire Fire 6 miles away from the Pipeline Fire, which burned an additional 5,575 acres. The combined fires required 919 fire personnel to contain them.

The Bighorn Fire in Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains, where Mount Lemmon is, in June 2020, was sparked by lightning. It burned 119,987 acres and forced the evacuation of Mount Lemmon and Summerhaven.

That fire helped Mount Lemmon Fire Department create wildfire training strategies and procedures to prepare for active fire seasons.

“We’re constantly training, making sure equipment is in working order, going through and evaluating properties as requested to make sure that they’re well defended or defendable,” said Mount Lemmon Fire Department Capt. Dan Leade. 

The National Forest Service urges people to take precautions while visiting the forests this summer. Never leave a campfire unattended, keep the chains of your vehicle up, and abide by the closures. 

“We can’t prevent lightning, but we can prevent human-started fires and stop devastation,” Shafer said. 

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.