Snow helps wrap up below-average wildfire season in US West

(AP) — With measurable snowfall already dusting parts of the Rocky Mountains and Northwest, the 2016 wildfire season has wrapped up in much of the West, despite some flames still flaring in Southern California.

The region saw a below-average fire season overall, with about 7,500 square miles burned so far this year, said Jessica Gardetto, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

The Santa Ana winds typical of fall in Southern California are expected to bring a heat wave and high fire danger through the end of the week.