Smoke from wildfires burning in the western United States produces a picturesque sunset in southern Minnesota on September 3, 2017. Wildfires are on the rise in America due to above average temperatures and below normal precipitation. September-November 2017 marked the 8th warmest autumn for the southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin areas of the U.S. 2015 was the third warmest and 2016 was the warmest. Temperature records date back to October 15, 1872. Source: National Weather Service.