CHEYENNE - Wyoming's wildfire season is ahead of schedule and on track for a record year, state fire officials warned Thursday.

The outlook is especially troubling in the eastern and southern regions, where moisture levels in forest timber is the lowest ever recorded, State Forester Bill Crapser said during a meeting with reporters in the state capital.

The western and northern regions are somewhat safer because of stronger snowpacks and spring precipitation. But many areas are carrying an increase in fuel buildup, due in part to more beetle-killed trees.

"It's shaping up to be a little bit scary," said Tony Tezak, forest fire management officer for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland.

Crapser said the fire season is about 40 days ahead of normal, and weather forecasters are predicting above-average temperatures across much of Wyoming for the next four to six weeks.

Wyoming mountains boasted some of the strongest snowpack in several years this spring. Forecasters were even predicting a major improvement in the state's ongoing drought conditions. However, a sudden warmup in May melted much of the snow, which was quickly soaked up by thirsty mountains and foothills.

One indicator of a grim fire outlook this season is the number of early-season fires and the conditions under which a blaze near Woods Landing in Albany County is burning.

Under normal conditions, the lightning-caused fire near Woods Landing would feed on dry grasses and small brush this time of year. But with timber so dry, its primary fuel is big trees, which make it tougher to fight.

A human-caused fire that started on the National Guard training center near Guernsey last week scorched nearly 14,400 acres - a big blaze for June in Wyoming.

"We're expecting basically a record year for fire unless we get a change in the weather," said Tazak, who noted that heavy rains might improve the outlook.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal last week said he'd consider an emergency fire declaration if the situation continues to deteriorate. The declaration would speed up access to state firefighting resources, Crapser said.