Wildfire in Northern Carroll, New Hampshire

After a very dry week with near record high temperatures on May 14th, a fire start was reported in Crawford Notch State Park. The fire rapidly spread due to the dry fuels, slope alignment and favorable fire weather conditions. Fire weather conditions quickly began to moderate by the evening of May 14th with rain falling on the fire. The favorable conditions allowed fire fighters to get ahead of the fire with increased containment everyday. Overall 107 acres were burned before full containment with mostly understory fuels burning.

The month of May was warmer and drier than normal in Central and Northern New Hampshire. The primary feature that dominated the weather pattern was an anomalous ridge of high pressure that started to develop during the second week of the month and remained centered over Northern New England through the end of the month. Before this ridge established itself, temperatures averaged below normal through the first eleven days. Very warm conditions developed towards the end of the second week of the month when Concord eclipsed the 90 degree mark for the first time of the year when the high temperature reached 91 degrees on the 14th. This warmth was tempered some after a couple of frontal systems crossed the area bringing thunderstorms on the 15th and 16th. The Bemis wildfire started on the 14th during this very warm and dry period and quickly spread due to dry surface fuels.