Firefighters in Russell, Paradise, Salina and elsewhere in Kansas battled wildfires fueled by winds up to 100 miles per hour Wednesday and Thursday. At least one firefighter in Russell County was hospitalized with injuries suffered in the fires. The fires destroyed...
L.A. County and Forest Service Firefighters Survive Near Miss
On September 11, Angeles National Forest and Los Angeles County firefighters responded to a brush fire near Highway 99. Shortly after they arrived the fire and took hold on both sides of the highway. In the shifting winds the flank of the fire became the head of the...
Meet The Wildland Firefighters of Hawaii – ‘Different But the Same’
https://vimeo.com/651279616 Meet the Hawaii Wildland firefighters. Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources presents this video look at the men and women who are the first responders for the state's 3 million acres of forest land. Like most places, wild fire...
Podcast: ‘Life with Fire’ with Amanda Monthei
When Amanda Monthei was growing up, she actually thought about becoming an archeologist. She always knew she wanted to write, but becoming a wildland firefighter? That was not on her radar until much later. “I had some girlfriends who’d been doing it and I was...
U.S. Officials Approve Long-Lasting Fire Retardant for Wildland Firefighting
By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. officials on Tuesday approved a long-lasting fire retardant that could significantly aid in fighting increasingly destructive wildfires. The U.S. Forest Service approved Perimeter Solutions’ fire retardant...
WATERAX: Supporting What We Believe In
This is WATERAX’s third year sponsoring the Wildland Fire Digital Storytelling Micro-Grant, part of the Smokey Generation Wildland Fire Oral History Project. The grants are awarded to deserving writers and creative people, many with frontline...
ALERTWildfire Thermal Cameras Show Caldor Fire Spotting into Tahoe Basin
University of Nevada, Reno and DigitalPath technicians deploy latest technology onto mountaintop camera platform One of the two thermal cameras in place for the Caldor Fire shows active flames heading into the Lake Tahoe Basin with a dozen or more spot fires already...
NIST’s Emberometer Could Gauge Threat of Wildfire-Spreading Embers
As wildfire fronts advance through landscapes or communities on the ground, they also attack from above, launching volleys of glowing embers into the air. Also known as firebrands, these specks of burning debris can glide for up to 40...
Lightweight Respirator on the Way for Wildland Firefighters
Source: USFA Wildland firefighters are exposed to many of the same naturally occurring respiratory hazards as structural firefighters. They are also exposed to many of the same man-made respiratory hazards, especially when fighting fires in or near the wildland urban...
Dangerous Conditions Complicate Wildfire Fight in Western U.S.
BLY, Ore. (AP) — Erratic winds and dry lightning added to the dangers for crews battling the nation’s largest wildfire on Monday in parched Oregon forests, just one of dozens burning across several Western states. The destructive Bootleg Fire, one of the largest in...
Fuel Shortage Could Ground Firefighting Aircraft
By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Airport officials facing jet fuel shortages are concerned they’ll have to wave off planes and helicopters that drop fire retardants during what could be a ferocious wildfire season, potentially endangering...
U.S. Seeks Ways to Recruit, Retain Wildland Firefighters
By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. wildfire managers are considering shifting from seasonal to full-time firefighting crews to deal with what has become a year-round wildfire season and making the jobs more attractive by increasing pay and...