wildfires

Prescribed fires are one tool in the toolbox of land managers, such as the US Forest Service, to mitigate future wildfire incidents and foster improved forest health. Its a method that goes as planned almost 99% of the time. Yet, as US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore recently explained, "We have noticed that there may be a slight trend in the number of fires that are escaping containment ..

We’re still in the month of May, but officials in Salem are already sounding the alarm about the 2022 wildfire season. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said during a recent press conference conditions are ripe for another bad fire year. "Already this year, I have declared drought emergencies in 15 counties. This ...

Nearly a dozen Oregon firefighters are on their way to Texas for the coming weeks, to help local crews battle wildfires across the Lone Star state. Oregon’s Department of Forestry said 21 others just returned from Texas, and 17 more remain in New Mexico on a similar mission. ODF’ ...

Idaho Department of Lands area office in Boise needs experienced wildland firefighters who can lead wildland fire engine crews. IDL said a nationwide shortage of qualified wildland fire engine bosses poses significant impacts for Idaho ...

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and USDA Forest Service chief Randy Moore met with fire fighters and fire management officials recently to get a briefing on the upcoming, or ongoing, fire season. But also, "to highlight our collective efforts to protect our communities from the threat of wildfires ...

A new program introduced last week by USDA will assist some ranchers who faced an increase in supplemental feed costs last year. Farm Service Agency Deputy Administrator Scott Marlow said this will provide producers much needed relief. "This is to cover the additional costs of feed and grazing outside of the in season grazing periods that were covered in other programs ...

It’s already very dry across the Pacific Northwest, which has wildland firefighters nervous about what the season ahead may look like. Because of that, the Washington DNR is encouraging property owners to prepare their land now for the season ahead. Jen ...

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has scheduled a host of prescribed burns for the eastern portion of the state for the month of April. The burns will take place on WDFW wildlife areas in an effort to reduce the risk of future wildfires as well as reduce the severity of wildfires when they occur ...

Scientists tell us that we cannot stop wildfires from happening, "But what we can do is begin the process of reducing the catastrophic nature of these fires," noted Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He recently announced a ten year plan to do more thinning out of forests, removing dead trees and brush, improving the health of forests and making communities near them safer ...

In an effort to help stop wildfires before they become large and unmanageable, Tom Dent has once again proposed legislation allowing for the creation of Rangeland Fire Protection Associations in Washington. The Moses Lake Representative said RFPAs would be different from fire districts, since they would not have taxing authority and would be made up of volunteers interested in attacking a fire wh