Fire Season 2026

Arizona Public Service Co. says it could temporarily shut off power in some high-risk communities Wednesday in the Flagstaff area because of heightened wildfire danger.

Hydrologists working high in the Rocky Mountains have measured what they say is Colorado’s driest winter of snow moisture on record.

Low snowfall this winter, paired with unprecedented June-like heat in March, has local forest managers closely monitoring fire conditions across northern Arizona.

Arizona fire officials warn that drought and heat could drive an early, active wildfire season. High fire activity is expected to move north across the Mogollon Rim by May, then into higher elevations.

Arizona utilities are now shielded from wildfire lawsuits, but critics call their safety plans "strikingly insufficient." A 2025 law could leave homeowners at risk.

Managers on the Kaibab National Forest are planning thousands of acres of prescribed burns north of the Grand Canyon that could begin as early as Tuesday.

The National Weather Service forecasts near-normal fire risk for northern Arizona this spring. Drought has improved, but warm, dry conditions remain a concern.