After an exceptionally warm and dry winter, vast swaths of the Western United States are up in flames—and conditions could get worse.  Several large fires are burning in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada and Utah. In Colorado, three federal wildland firefighters died while battling a blaze over the weekend. … Winter weather set the stage for this early and aggressive start to fire season. As I reported in March, many Western states saw record or near-record lows in snowpack coinciding with consistently high winter temperatures, capped off by a heat wave in March that melted much of the meager reserves. … With an even hotter, dry forecast on the horizon, experts are concerned that the fires tearing through much of the Southwest could be a sign of what’s to come over the next few months.

Other drought forecast and impact news:

• Forbes: The Southwest’s drought economy: When disaster response is politicized
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Mountain towns must tighten taps, but water shortages could have been worse
• The Times-Independent (Moab, Utah): Water restrictions may be in Moab’s future
• The Salt Lake Tribune: As Utah fires worsen, U.S. Forest Service chief calls for more active forest management
• National Academies of Science: News release: U.S. needs new drought assessment framework as droughts become more severe and unpredictable