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Biggest wildfire season burning into the record books

Posted at 8:50 AM, Jun 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-29 11:50:35-04

Nearly 3 million acres have been burned in almost 58,000 fires across the United States as of the end of May.

These year-to-date numbers outpace nearly every other number in recent years. Only 2011 surpasses the number of acres burned, and no other year going back to 2000 has seen this many wildfires in the first five months of the year.

Those statistics don't count any of the fires that began burning in June, including the 27 fires currently burning across 11 states.

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Arizona is currently getting hit the hardest with a total of six fires burning, including the Goodwin fire near Prescott National Forest. This particular fire has already burned almost 21,000 acres, and it's only one percent contained.

Thousands have been evacuated as firefighters attempt to fight the flames in strong winds on rough terrain.

Continued dry weather and breezy conditions will only make it more difficult in the coming days, and the current record-breaking numbers this year will keep growing.

Follow Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyersvia the Storm Shield appon Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.