Firefighting
6G Promises Immersive Communications for Public Safety
The next-generation cellular network is poised to massively upgrade situational awareness for public safety agencies, experts say.
Controlled Burns Help Prevent Wildfires. Regulations Have Made It Nearly Impossible to Do Them.
Even though the 2021 Marshall Fire made it clear that the fire threat posed by Colorado’s grasslands endangers large urban areas, federal, state and local rules continue to make it difficult to address the risk.
Spring Wildfires in the Eastern US Got Off to a Roaring Start This Year
It may not be as dramatic as when the West burns, but an unseasonably warm, dry winter could make fire season longer and more intense.
With Fire Departments Struggling for Volunteers, States Respond to the Alarm
More than 80% of U.S. fire departments are composed mostly of volunteers.
The Biden Team Announces Pay Raises of Up to $20,000 Annually for Federal Firefighters
The pay increases, authorized as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law, will be retroactive to October 2021.
Wildfire Burn Scars, Raising Risk of Mudslides—This Is What Cascading Climate Disasters Look Like
Studies show climate change is raising the risk of cascading hazards that alone might not be extreme but add up to human disasters. Communities and government agencies aren’t prepared.
Lack of Federal Firefighters Hurts California Wildfire Response
Roughly a third of all federal firefighters work in California, where more than 142,447 acres have burned this year.
Over 100 Fire Scientists Urge the US West: Skip the Fireworks This Record-Dry 4th of July
COMMENTARY | In heat and drought like the western U.S. and Canada are experiencing in 2021, all it takes is a spark to start a wildfire.
Western States Prepare for Battle in Historic Wildfire Season
States are poised to spend hundreds of millions, even billions, in state funding while U.S. senators urged the Biden administration to provide additional relief money quickly.
Rocky Mountain Forests Burning More Now Than Any Time in the Past 2,000 Years
COMMENTARY | Colorado’s East Troublesome Fire jumped the Continental Divide on Oct. 22, 2020, and eventually became Colorado’s second-largest fire on record.
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California Lacks Federal Firefighters as Dangerous Season Looms
A third of Forest Service fire engines in California likely can’t run every day.
Wildfires Can Poison Drinking Water – Here’s How Communities Can be Better Prepared
COMMENTARY | Communities need to upgrade building codes to keep wildfires from causing this kind of widespread contamination of drinking water systems.
Local Police Departments Investigate Whether Their Officers Took Part in Capitol Riot
Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters attended the pro-Trump rally held before the riot began. Many are now on administrative leave while agencies probe their actions.
Fire Official Urges Governors to Be Proactive on Hardening Homes Against Wildfire
Failing to do so, the official said, means “we're just building tomorrow’s problems.”
Firefighters Push for Inclusion in First Phase of Covid-19 Vaccines
States are finalizing their vaccine distribution plans, which will determine which critical workers and high-risk people are first in line for a coronavirus vaccination.
Land Managers Can’t Burn the West Fast Enough
Prescribed burns, which create buffers against larger fires, can do only so much.
Tough Fire Season Takes Toll on Firefighters’ Mental Health
Wildland firefighters deploy for weeks or months, working nearly nonstop.
Fast Moving Colorado Wildfire Still Raging in State
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Michigan prohibits voters from carrying guns to the polls … Virginia home health workers to get one-time bonus pay … Rhode Island cracks down on break rooms.
As Wildfires Burn, Assigning Blame Is Complicated
COMMENTARY | Climate change has made environmental catastrophes more frequent and severe. But government missteps are also at fault.
California May Need More Fire to Fix its Wildfire Problem
The longstanding default position of suppressing every fire has created problems throughout the West.
