‘All that’s needed is a spark’: why the US may be headed for a summer of mega-fire

An explosive spring season has already burned more land than the 10-year average, with summers only expected to intensify

Following an explosive spring that unleashed major wildfires from the US southwest to Alaska, the west is now bracing for a summer of big blazes as the parched landscapes risk turning into tinderboxes.

Fire activity is expected to increase in several US states over the coming months, according to a newly released outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), with parts of the Pacific north-west, northern California, Texas, Hawaii and Alaska forecast to be among those hardest hit by fire conditions in the months ahead.