Brad: Why do fires seem worse this year? Lowest fire count in 29 years

By Brad Sowder
Published On: Aug 26 2013 09:17:51 AM CDT
Updated On: Aug 26 2013 01:14:40 PM CDT

The west is burning. Massive fires seem to be destroying everything in the Western United States, and now our favorite park, Yosemite National Park, is ablaze. However, the reality is the total nationwide fire count is down to the lowest number in 29 years, and the total acres burned is at the second lowest in 14 years.  So why does it seem so much worse this year?

I would call this the 'Shark Week' effect.  By no means am I trivializing the seriousness of these fires, or the loss of life and property that so many suffered. It has been a terrible fire year on several levels, but maybe not to the size or scope that we might imagine today.

During Shark Week, the sharks do not simply stay on the Discovery Channel.  Sharks seem to come from everywhere. We find sharks on subways, sharks in tornadoes and it seems that Jaws is attacking everyone who dares to venture into the vacation waters.

Fire made headlines this year first in Colorado, when the state suffered its most destructive fire in history. Soon after, 19 members of a hotshot crew lost their lives in Prescott, Ariz. These were the grabbing headlines. Media now wants to make sure you hear about every fire that pops up in the nation. This "Shark Week" effect makes us think our nation has burned to the ground.  



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