Expect this to be a banner year for wildland fires both here and across the United States. When you look at heat maps, most of the nation is already warm. Here in the Seattle area we expect to have five days straight of temperatures exceeding 80 degrees. While the rest of the world might think this is ideal, we typically would not see sequential days in the 80s until late July and August.
Besides the wildland fire threat, you also have to be concerned about people and their ability to cope with the heat. I think about the farms across the Midwest where I grew up. Around every farmhouse there would be trees surrounding the home. Houses also had large front porches where people could get out of the house, sit in the shade and catch the breeze in order to cool off. I think the phrase "having it made in the shade" came from living with the heat.
Today homes are not built this way, and I think of them as more of a heat box than a place of refuge. These are all things to consider as you make your plans for heat emergencies in your state and community.
