Georgia's devastating wildfires could be a preview of a potentially brutal fire season nationwide, Alex Fitzpatrick writes.

• The Highway 82 Fire and Pineland Road Fire have destroyed more than 120 homes, fueled by dry conditions, high winds and even leftover debris from 2024's Hurricane Helene.

The big picture: Much of the U.S. is at least "abnormally dry" after long stretches of low precipitation, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

• Severe, extreme or exceptionally dry conditions prevail across much of the West, South and Southeast.

📈 About 1.8 million acres have burned nationwide this year as of April 24, per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

• That's nearly double the year-to-date 10-year average, and the highest year-to-date figure since 2017.

John Bailey, professor of silviculture and wildland fire at Oregon State University's College of Forestry, tells Axios: "Over the last few years, different states have set new records for acres burned and acres of high severity fire and homes burned."

• Three factors are driving those record-breaking fires, says Bailey, author of "A Walk With Wildland Fire": An "inordinate amount of fuel in the landscape," new homes in fire-prone areas that become fire fuel themselves, and longer and more severe fire seasons.

🌎 It's too soon to tie the Georgia wildfires directly to climate change.

• But climate change is driving longer and more intense wildfire seasons, the research group Climate Central says.

🌊 What we're watching: The severity of this year's wildfire season could depend on a potential "super El Niño."

• "El Niños ... can reshape global weather patterns, push temperatures to record highs, and create conditions for the devastating wildfires and smoke that have increasingly come to define West Coast summers," Axios' Kale Williams and Christine Clarridge report.

Go deeper ... More from Axios Atlanta.

AAA's national average price of a gallon of regular gas hit $4.18 this morning, up 6¢ from yesterday and 20¢ from a month ago.

• That's the peak since April 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine.

🛢️ Crude oil futures are at their highest levels in weeks amid the absence of a diplomatic endgame that frees up the Strait of Hormuz, Axios' Ben Geman and Chuck McCutcheon report.

• The soaring costs, combined with a spike in gasoline prices, mean further political pain for President Trump and fellow Republicans.

📈 The global benchmark Brent crude hovered at around $112 a barrel this morning, a 4% hike.

• West Texas Intermediate topped $101 a barrel, up nearly 5%.

🇦🇪 NEW: The UAE is leaving OPEC after more than 50 years — a blow to the powerful alliance of Big Oil producers. Get the latest.

1. 👑 President Trump and King Charles III greeted each other warmly at the White House today as the monarch began a day of diplomacy in Washington, including a planned address to Congress. Get the latest.
2. 🇮🇷 Trump claimed today that Iran told the U.S. it is "in a state of collapse" and wants to open the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible." It's unclear what Trump was basing his comments on. More from Barak Ravid.
3. 🎧 Oprah Winfrey's popular video podcast is moving exclusively to Amazon's Wondery service, with twice-a-week episodes starting this summer. Winfrey said in a statement: "Hosting this podcast allows me to continue the work I feel called to do — opening the door for conversations that matter." Read the announcement.

Subway's new value menu highlights the fast-food battle to win back budget-conscious customers, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.

• The sandwich chain's Fresh Value offerings, launching today, include 15 entrees under $5.
• It's the first value menu in Subway's more than 60-year history.

🍔 The big picture: McDonald's has a new Under $3 Menu, Wendy's recently launched new Biggie Deals, and Taco Bell says about a third of orders now include a value menu option.

• 💅 Go deeper: McDonald's is the latest fast-food chain to offer fancier drinks.