Wildfires: What's happening in the US?

Smoke plumes rise from a wildfire in the US state of Arizona

Western United States is experiencing dozens of wildfires caused by recent hot and dry conditions.

Fires are currently burning in areas including Arizona, New Mexico and California.

The intense heat has affected firefighting efforts so far, but the temperature is expected to drop over the next few days. However, the National Weather Service, which provides weather forecasts and warnings for the US, noted that the change in temperature could bring uncertainty for fire crews.

"The humidity and the possibility of some scattered rainfall is a good thing," said meteorologist Andrew Taylor. "The lightning is not a good thing."

One outbreak, which has been named the Willow Fire, started on Thursday last week in a remote area near the coastal mountains of Big Sur in California.

It's now burned more than 2,400 acres and around 450 firefighters are now tasked with containing the fire. People at a Buddhist monastery in the area and nearby campground have been forced to evacuate.

The wildfire could also affect endangered species and important cultural sites in the area if it continues to grow.

In New Mexico, fires caused by lightning have affected the southern part of the state, with parts of the area's Gila National Forest remaining closed to the public.

Some parts of the US including California have seen severe droughts which has contributed to the spread of wildfires

Some western parts of the US have also been experiencing a major drought in recent weeks. Droughts are caused by a lack of rainfall and they can worsen when temperatures are extremely hot.

The extreme heatwave in Western US, has put a strain on power grids in the states of California and Texas and it's also contributed to the spread of the wildfires.

"I'm worried about this summer - this doesn't bode well, in terms of what we can expect with wildfire and the worsening drought," paleoclimatologist Kathleen Johnson told the Guardian.

"This current drought is potentially on track to become the worst that we've seen in at least 1,200 years. And the reason is linked directly to human caused climate change."