Wildfire season is already off to a dangerous start

Wildfire season is already off to a dangerous start

From The Excerpt by USA TODAY

April 17, 2026 · 16 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the early start of wildfire season in the U.S. and the implications of potential policy changes on wildfire management.

Wildfire season is already off to an early and dangerous start across the U.S., with more than 1.6 million acres burned — far above the 10-year average. Experts warn the months ahead could bring more large, destructive fires. At the same time, the Trump administration is planning a major overhaul of the U.S. Forest Service, including closing research facilities and regional offices. So what does that mean as wildfire risk grows? USA TODAY’s Dana Taylor speaks with Clark University Geography Professor John Rogan about what’s fueling this year’s fires, how scientists track wildfire behavior, and why cutting research could make it harder to predict and respond to future disasters. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to  podcasts@usatoday.com .  Episode transcript  available here .  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Host: Dana Taylor

Guest: John Rogan

Topics covered

  • wildfires
  • climate change
  • forest management
  • disaster response
  • environmental policy

Keywords

  • wildfire season
  • acres burned
  • Trump administration
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • fire prediction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: USA TODAY, Trump administration, U.S. Forest Service

Places: U.S.

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