Yet nine months ago, large areas of the very states in question were blanketed with water, in the form of snow.
Don Smurthwaite, a spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said that throughout the West's "urban-wildland interface," fire officials now saw 10 times as many homes as there were 25 years ago in "areas that historically are vulnerable to fire".
Four months ago, these areas were jam-packed with camera crews, print journalists and politicians falling over themselves to talk with community workers and local heroes, but along with the national broadcasters, politicians' interest – David Lammy apart – seems to have dissolved.
This process revolutionized the distribution of dairy products 20 years ago in areas without refrigeration.
"It happened all around the world, and when the sea level rose when ice caps started melting some 20,000 years ago, these areas were covered by the ocean.
6 Training programmes for traditional birth attendants began more than 60 years ago in areas where maternal mortality was high.
Trials did not describe the routine health services available to detect and treat malaria infection in both intervention and control arms, but many trials were done some years ago in areas with very basic curative health services available.
Kenneth's local counterpart explained that years ago, the area was heavily forested but, as with much of the region, trees have been cleared to fuel inefficient cooking methods, and create building materials.
Not too long ago, the area was deemed too crime-ridden for many people.
More than 12,000 years ago the area that is now Wisconsin was covered by enormous glaciers.
A few years ago, this area was in decline but wait until you see it.
