Category: wildfires

Military Deploys to Alberta to Aid in Wildfire Containment Efforts

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is moving into position to support Alberta’s response to unprecedented wildfires in the province. Troops from the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (3PPCLI) and 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1CER) are deploying in the next few days to Grande Prairie, Fox Creek, and Drayton Valley areas which have…


Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to Provide Update on Provincial Wildfire Situation

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is expected to provide an update on the province’s ongoing wildfires later this afternoon. A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. MDT.  Smith will be joined by Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis and other officials. Several thousand people have been ordered to leave their homes as more than 100 wildfires…


Alberta Declares State of Emergency Due to Fires, More Than 24,000 out of Homes

CALGARY—Alberta declared a state of emergency Saturday due to the growing threat of wildfires that have forced more than 24,000 people from their homes. Premier Danielle Smith said the safety of Albertans is a priority, and the emergency status gives the government greater power to access emergency funds and mobilize additional support. “This is not…


Recollections of a Smoke Jumper Pilot

This past summer, 71-year-old Ken Herrick relived the eight years he spent as a smoke jumper pilot. As a volunteer with Yellowstone Nature Connection (YNC), a 2012-founded nonprofit in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, and housed in the original, early 1900s-built ranger cabins, Herrick’s “job” was to share with children, individuals, and families about…


At Least 23 Dead as Dozens of Wildfires Torch Forests in Chile

SANTIAGO—Dozens of wildfires blazing though Chile caused the government to extend an emergency order to another region on Saturday, as a scorching summer heat wave complicates efforts to control fires that have claimed at least 23 lives so far. More than 1,100 people have sought refuge in shelters while at least 979 people have been…


Tech Company Fights Wildfires Using Fireball-Dropping Drones

A tech company in the Midwest is using drones and software to help firefighters contain wildfires in a new way. Drones dropping flaming spheres may sound like a futuristic battlefield technique. And in a way, it is. It’s a way to “fight fire with fire,” as the drones drop small fireballs to create controlled burns….


Study: Wildfires Canceled California’s CO2 Gains

Commentary In 2020, greenhouse gas emission reductions by California were negated by the CO2 from wildfires. That’s according to a new study by researchers from UCLA and the University of Chicago, “Up in smoke: California’s greenhouse gas reductions could be wiped out by 2020 wildfires.” Yet, comprehensive sensible policies could mitigate the wildfires. These policies…


California’s Prop. 30 Will Not Save the Forests

Commentary The television ads are impossible to ignore. A stern man in a firefighter’s uniform stands beside the wasted ashes of an immolated forest. As a harrowing montage of towering flames, skies filled with smoke, and CO2 belching cars on freeways slide across the screen, exuding masculine authority, he explains “we are in a crisis.” His…


New Center Wants to Fight Wildfires by Fixing Bad Laws

The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) has launched a new conservation law and policy center that aims to promote good stewardship of the land without compromising private landowners’ property rights, including by cutting red tape to lower the risk of wildfires. Jonathan Wood, PERC’s legal director, told The Epoch Times in a Sept. 22…


Wildfires Could Cause Cascading Problems for Drought-Stricken West

Smoke-filled skies blanket the West Coast, while on the ground, thousands of bone-dry acres burn. Historic levels of dryness in areas like California have only increased over the past three years, and firefighters combatting the infernos use every tool at their disposal to try to get the upper hand. After a fire, charred trees stand…