Category: wildfires

New Mexico Governor Declares States of Emergency in 5 Counties Due to Wildfires

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared states of emergency in five counties due to wildfires that have burned through large swaths of the drought-stricken state. The democratic governor declared states of emergency for Colfax, Lincoln, San Miguel, and Valencia Counties on Friday, and issued a similar declaration for Mora County on Saturday due to the…


New Mexico Governor Declares State of Emergency in 5 Counties Due to Wildfires

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency in five counties due to wildfires that have burned through large swaths of the drought-stricken state. The Democratic governor declared states of emergency for Colfax, Lincoln, San Miguel, and Valencia Counties on April 22, and issued a similar declaration for Mora County on April 23…


Markets and Private Property, Not Government, Protect the Environment

Commentary  Each century presents its unique set of problems for lovers of freedom, peace, and prosperity. While the great vanguards of liberty in the 20th century dealt with the looming shadow of centralization and were engaged in a battle against socialists and statists who argued for centralization and adjudication of individual liberty for the sake of universal…


Texas Governor Declares State of Disaster as Wildfires Force Evacuations, Kills Sheriff’s Deputy

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in 11 counties late Friday amid wildfires in the state that have burned through at least 50,000 acres and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate. The disaster declaration (pdf) means the countries affected can use all state government resources to respond to the wildfires and suspend…


Texas Governor Declares State of Disaster as Wildfires Force Evacuations, Kill Sheriff’s Deputy

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in 11 counties late Friday amid wildfires in the state that have burned through at least 50,000 acres and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate. The disaster declaration (pdf) means the countries affected can use all state government resources to respond to the wildfires and suspend…


UN Projects Climate Change Will Increase Risk of Catastrophic Wildfires

A new report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) predicts that climate change will raise the global likelihood of catastrophic wildfires—defined as one-in-100-year wildfires—by a factor of 1.31 to 1.57. “The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report indicates that weather conducive to wildfires (‘fire weather’—hot, dry, and windy) is becoming more…


Colorado Wildfire Victims Struggle to Rebuild Homes, Lives

Among the hundreds of homes that were destroyed or damaged in the Marshall Fire in Colorado in December nothing appears to have been left intact save for the plug-in outdoor nativity scene that miraculously survived the intense heat and flames.Whether by good fortune or divine intervention, the ornament’s resilience in the face of a sudden…


The ‘Apocalyptic’ Aftermath of the Colorado Wildfires

LOUISVILLE, Colorado—Among the hundreds of homes that were destroyed or damaged in the Marshall Fire in Colorado in December nothing appears to have been left intact save for the plug-in outdoor nativity scene that miraculously survived the intense heat and flames.  Whether by good fortune or divine intervention, the ornament’s resilience in the face of…


2 Dead in Kansas Wildfires Fueled by Windy, Dry Weather

Two men have died from injuries suffered in wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across Kansas this week, authorities said Friday. Richard Shimanek, 84, a farmer and rancher who lived near Leoti, died Thursday night at a hospital in Denver, Leoti Mayor and Fire Chief Charlie Hughes said. He was outside his…


Edison to Pay $550 Million in Settlement Over 2017–18 Wildfires

LOS ANGELES—Southern California Edison will pay $550 million under a settlement related to a series of 2017–18 wildfires that killed five people, destroyed nearly 3,000 structures, and consumed more than 385,000 acres, the California Public Utilities Commission announced Dec. 16. The settlement is in response to multiple violations of regulations that govern the design, construction,…