Wildfires raging across the U.S. Southwest have razed structures and forced hundreds of people to evacuate — heralding an early start to the fire season, per AP.
Driving the news: The region is facing windy conditions as 90% of the West is in moderate to "exceptional" drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Arizona is in this category, as is 78% of the High Plains — including Colorado.
