(NewsNation) — With persistent drought conditions and high winds, there is no longer a wildfire season in the Southwest — it is now year-round.

The entire area is highly flammable. And much of it is already on fire, such as in Northern Arizona, where a tunnel fire that has been raging all week has scorched more than 21,000 acres.

A state of emergency has been declared in Coconino County, where flames have destroyed dozens of homes and other structures.

Hundreds of residents in and around Flagstaff have had to evacuate.

This fire is one of about a dozen major wildfires tearing through the Southwest right now, all fueled by dry and windy weather. Some gusts from these fires are over 70 mph.

“Those winds will drive embers for more than a mile; it really depends on where you’re talking about,” Michelle Steinberg, of the National Fire Protection Association, said. “But your home or community does not need to be right next to the flames in order to have a risk from those kinds of fires.”

Much of Colorado is also on high alert. Crews have been able to prevent some smaller fires from becoming major incidents, but there is high anxiety because of massive losses from the Marshall fire in Boulder just a few months ago.

Many Colorado residents are packed up and ready to roll.

“It’s also incredibly anxiety-inducing, honestly, because you never know in situations like these if a fire is going to start and you’re not going to have a home to come home to,” Lillian Harvey, of Morrison, Colorado, said.

Punky Moore, a spokesperson for the Southwestern Region of the USDA Forest Service, said there haven’t been this many incident management teams in the southwestern region this early.

“It’s a very dangerous situation that we have right now,” Moore said.

For those in the danger zones, experts say fire prevention measures are key. Apart from clearing dry brush around your home and avoiding anything that might create a spark, they say to remove things like patio cushions, umbrellas and welcome mats.