Category: wildfires

Huge Oregon Blaze Grows as Wildfires Burn Across Western US

BLY, Oregon—The largest wildfire in the U.S. torched more dry forest landscape in Oregon on Sunday, one of dozens of major blazes burning across the West as critically dangerous fire weather loomed in the coming days. The destructive Bootleg Fire just north of the California border grew to more than 476 square miles (1,210 square…


Planes Dump Water on Siberian Wildfires as Residents Plead for Help

Russia’s army sent firefighting planes on Tuesday to battle huge wildfires that have blanketed Siberian towns in thick smoke as residents complain of being suffocated in a region known for its frozen tundra that is now sweltering under a heatwave. With flames tearing across some 800,000 hectares (1.98 million acres) of Russian forest, the hardest-hit…


Outdoor Businesses Struggle as Arizona Wildfires Rage

Wildfires burning through a number of Arizona’s pristine national forests since June have left many outdoor recreational businesses struggling amid a wave of park closures and lost tourism. As if the pandemic downtown wasn’t bad enough, Troyscot Farrar, general manager at Arizona High Mountain Trail Rides at Mormon Lake, nestled within the Coconino National Forest,…


Biden Ups Firefighter Pay, Pushes Climate Spending

President Joe Biden announced pay raises for federal firefighters on Wednesday and said the United States was behind in its preparations for a potential record number of forest fires this year because of drought and high temperatures. Biden’s remarks at a virtual meeting with governors of western states sought to show the White House is…


Newsom Under Fire For California Wildfire Claims

Critics are lashing out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom following a report that claims he misled the public about his wildfire prevention accomplishments. “Governor Newsom’s deceitfulness and half steps don’t cut it. He is a self-serving hypocrite who needs to get his priorities straight,” Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Red Bluff) said in a press release in response…


Wildfire Housing Bill Sparks Opposition in Anaheim

Anaheim city council on June 22 will consider opposing a bill that one councilor said would make many new housing projects “infeasible and unachievable.” At the request of Councilmember Trevor O’Neil, council will discuss passing a resolution opposing Senate Bill 12 (SB 12). “SB 12 would take away an element of local control and make it more difficult to approve and…


California Prepares for a Drought—But Orange County Says It’s Ready

Officials throughout California are preparing for another crippling drought throughout the state—but officials in Orange County say they are ready. After two years of below-average precipitation levels, fears of devastating wildfires loom on the horizon. The ground throughout the state has become parched, threatening vegetation and daily life. Experts are encouraging people throughout Southern California…


US Proposes Big Increase in Forest Management to Tackle Wildfires

The United States must double or quadruple the rate at which it thins and removes dead wood from its forests to reduce the threat of wildfires that have become more frequent and severe due to climate change, the Biden administration said on Thursday. The call for a more ambitious forest management program comes after a…


Mismanagement Contributes to Longer Fire Seasons, Researchers Say 

California’s wildfire season is getting longer, according to University of California–Irvine (UCI) environmental engineers, who say poor fire management practices contributed to the most wildfires. In a study published April 22, UCI researchers analyzed California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) wildfire statistics from 2000 to 2019, comparing the data with the period of 1920 to 1999. Researchers found the annual…


400 Homes Evacuated, 1,900 Acres Burned in South Dakota Wildfires

More than 400 South Dakota homes have been evacuated following three separate wildfires that erupted in the Black Hills region on Monday and have so far burned hundreds of acres and destroyed at least one home, authorities said. The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said that an initial fire started near Schroeder Road in the Nemo…