Mild wildfire season throughout Nevada
By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal
Nevada will close 2010 with less land burned by wildfire than any other year but one in the past decade, barring any late-season surprises.
Only 15 fires larger than 100 acres were recorded over the year across the Silver State as of Friday. They charred 21,688 acres, according to the Western Great Basin Coordination Center.
Only in 2003, when 17,546 acres burned, did the state lose less land.
“What happened, especially for Nevada, was we saw lots of southwesterly flow which can produce wind but not a lot of lightning,” said Rick Ochoa, predictive services meteorologist for the fire center. “In the West, we never had the really hot spells followed by the dry lightning.”
