LA Times series explores the rising cost of fighting wildfires
Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2008On July 27, the Los Angeles Times began a week-long series delving into the rising costs of fighting wildfires. The first two articles discuss the role of private contractors and the influence of political pressures. Next up: more and more people are living in remote, fire-prone areas, complicating evacuation and fire-fighting efforts.
CA governor requests more federal assistance to battle fires
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2008Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter to President Bush requesting additional federal resources to fight the ongoing wildfires in California, underscoring the increasing pressures states face in addressing mounting fire suppression challenges.
Firefighters from Pacific islands join firefighting efforts in CA
Posted on Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Firefighters from islands in the Pacific have joined the fight to contain wildland fires on the Mendocino National Forest. There are four fire crews – one each from Saipan, American Samoa, Guam and Hawaii – and they are trained by a cadre of experts from the US Forest Service’s Region 5 fire professionals who go to the South Pacific Islands each April.National fire preparedness raised to highest level
Posted on Wednesday, July 2, 2008Press release – The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC), comprised of top federal and state fire managers, increased the national Preparedness Level (PL) today to its highest point, PL-5.
National Guard troops set to relieve fire crews in CA
Posted on Wednesday, July 2, 2008Associated Press: Weary crews battling blazes across northern and central California soon will get some help from the National Guard, the first time the troops have been called to ground-based firefighting duty since 1977. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered 200 guardsmen to report for fire training to begin assisting on the fire lines early next week. The extra hands are expected to boost the nearly 19,000 personnel currently fighting the fires.
Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment featured on The Weather Channel
Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Check out a special Weather Channel feature in which the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment (SWRA) is highlighted as a valuable tool used by Southern states to protect at-risk communities from dangerous wildfires. The SWRA is the first comprehensive wildfire risk assessment of its kind in the nation and consists of a series of computer-based Geographic Information System (GIS) layers that can be used separately or in combination to provide powerful graphic images of wildfire occurrence and wildfire risk in the South.CA grapples with limited resources and over 1000 fires
Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2008More than a thousand fires are burning across northern California's wildlands, forcing federal, state, and local firefighters to make tough triage decisions. Fire chiefs are sounding the alarm about the chronic shortfalls in resources and calling on the state to add more trucks, helicopters, and fully staffed teams to its fire arsenal.
NY Times: Anxiety grows in West over firefighting
Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008A feature article in the New York Times today highlights growing pressures on wildland fire readiness in the Western region of the United States, due in part to proposed funding cuts to states for training and personnel in the U.S. Forest Service's 2009 budget. This would "cut our ability to train volunteers and supply equipment,” said Wyoming State Forester Bill Crapser.
USFS readiness scrutinized during Senate hearing
Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008The USDA Forest Service's readiness and staffing challenges were debated during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing yesterday. USDA Undersecretary Mark Rey insisted that the agency is prepared. More on this topic plus a quote from Wyoming State Forester Bill Crapser and California State Forester Ruben Grijalva
USFS press release: study finds agencies controlled costs during 2007 fire season
Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2008From the U.S. Forest Service: An independent panel study, conducted by The Brookings Institution, found that the Forest Service and Department of the Interior exercised appropriate fiscal diligence during the 2007 wildfire season. The panel reviewed the 27 wildfire incidents that each exceeded $10 million in the 2007 fire season, totaling $547 million in suppression costs and nearly 3 million burned acres.
