MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge is weighing whether to severely limit the government's use of aerial fire retardant to combat wildfires following arguments Monday by environmentalists who are concerned about water pollution. A lawsuit pitting an environmental...
WV Man Accused of Arson, Murder in Wildland Firefighter Death
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man has been charged with murder after a forestry worker was killed trying to extinguish a fire the man is accused of setting. The fire was reported on Tuesday night in the Tucker Hollow area of Fayette County. Overnight, the...
Wildfire Burns Almost 700 Acres in Southeast Nebraska
UNION, Neb. (AP) — Overnight rain helped firefighters get control of two wildfires Monday in southeast Nebraska near the Missouri River. Nebraska officials said after Gov. Jim Pillen surveyed the damage that the fire near Beaver Lake was about 90% contained while the...
NM Governor Signs Bill to Limit Prescribed Fires
By MORGAN LEE Associated Press Eds: UPDATES: With AP Photos. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation Tuesday that aims to prohibit prescribed burns — wildland fires set purposefully as a means of forest management — during...
NV Utility Seeks OK to Spend $373m on ‘Resilience’ Plan
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada’s dominant electric utility is asking state regulators to approve a $373 million maintenance and infrastructure resilience plan that executives say is needed to protect against extreme weather, wildfires and natural disasters. NV Energy's...
Firefighter Battling VA Wildfire Dies in ATV Accident
ROSEANN, Va. (AP) — A firefighter battling a wildfire in western Virginia was killed when an ATV overturned, the state Department of Forestry announced Friday. Rocky S. Wood was killed while fighting a 15-acre wildfire near the Roseann community in Buchanan County on...
NM Lawmakers Seek Assurances Over Prescribed Burns
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are looking for assurances from the U.S. Forest Service that the agency is taking preventative measures to ensure that future prescribed fires don't turn into disasters. They sent a letter this...
Chile Wildfires Spread Amid Heat Wave as Death Toll Hits 22
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile extended an emergency declaration to yet another region on Saturday as firefighters struggled to control dozens of raging wildfires that have claimed at least 22 lives amid a scorching heat wave that has broken records. The government...
Two Pilots Walk Away from Boeing 737 Water Bomber Crash in Australia
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Two pilots walked away with minor injuries after a Boeing 737 jet converted for firefighting crashed in Australia, officials said Tuesday. The twin-engine tanker owned by Canadian-based Coulson Aviation crashed in Fitzgerald River National Park...
Feds Spend $930 Million to Curb ‘Crisis’ of Wildfires
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. is directing $930 million toward reducing wildfire dangers in 10 western states by clearing trees and underbrush from national forests, the Biden administration announced Thursday, as officials struggle to contain destructive infernos...
NM Wildfires Prompt Bill to Ban Burns During Season
By ADRIAN HEDDEN Carlsbad Current-Argus CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of acres burned in New Mexico last spring as its two biggest wildfires ever were allegedly lit purposefully, but got out of control. This year, New Mexico Sen. Ron Griggs of Alamogordo...
CA Snowpack Off to Great Start Amid Severe Drought
By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The snowpack covering California's mountains is off to one of its best starts in 40 years, officials announced Tuesday, raising hopes that the drought-stricken state could soon see relief in the spring when the...