Trump Backs Higher Pay for Wildland Firefighters While DOGE Cuts Wildfire Support Staff
By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Wildland firefighters will keep a four-year-old pay hike under a GOP-led spending bill signed by President Donald Trump, but many worry that mass federal worker firings will leave the nation more vulnerable to...
Brush Fire, Smoky Conditions Shut Down Road Leading in and out of FL Keys
By FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Traffic was flowing in and out of the Florida Keys on Wednesday morning after a brush fire led officials to briefly close U.S. 1, snarling traffic for hours for those trying to enter or leave island...
OK Surveys Devastation After Hundreds of Homes Are Destroyed and Damaged by Wildfires
By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — As Oklahomans assessed the devastation from wildfires that whipped across the state, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, officials in both Oklahoma and Texas warned Sunday of an increased risk of fire danger in the...
Officials at L.A. County’s Office of Emergency Management Not to Blame for West Altadena Alert Failures, Sources Say
Rebecca Ellis, Terry Castleman and Grace Toohey Los Angeles Times (TNS) LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County emergency management officials responsible for sending evacuation alerts were not instructed to notify west Altadena residents until long after the Eaton fire...
NEWS
Trump Backs Higher Pay for Wildland Firefighters While DOGE Cuts Wildfire Support Staff
By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Wildland firefighters will keep a four-year-old pay hike under a GOP-led spending bill signed by President Donald Trump, but many worry that mass federal worker firings will leave the nation more vulnerable to...
Brush Fire, Smoky Conditions Shut Down Road Leading in and out of FL Keys
By FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Traffic was flowing in and out of the Florida Keys on Wednesday morning after a brush fire led officials to briefly close U.S. 1, snarling traffic for hours for those trying to enter or leave island...
OK Surveys Devastation After Hundreds of Homes Are Destroyed and Damaged by Wildfires
By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — As Oklahomans assessed the devastation from wildfires that whipped across the state, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, officials in both Oklahoma and Texas warned Sunday of an increased risk of fire danger in the...
Officials at L.A. County’s Office of Emergency Management Not to Blame for West Altadena Alert Failures, Sources Say
Rebecca Ellis, Terry Castleman and Grace Toohey Los Angeles Times (TNS) LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County emergency management officials responsible for sending evacuation alerts were not instructed to notify west Altadena residents until long after the Eaton fire...
Federal Wildland Firefighters Win Permanent Pay Raises in Budget Deal
The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced permanent pay increases for federal and tribal wildland firefighters. The pay boost, part of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 1968) signed into law by President Trump on March 14....
Product News
Perimeter Solutions Completes Redomicile from Luxembourg to the U.S.
Clayton, Missouri, November 20, 2024 – Perimeter Solutions, SA (NYSE: PRM), a leading provider of mission-critical firefighting products and services as well as high-quality specialty chemicals, today announced the completion of the redomiciliation process to change...
Meet Nicole Wiebe – A Wildland Firefighter and MARK-3® Pump Pro!!
Introducing Nicole Wiebe: A former Wildland Firefighter turned artist, Nicole brings her unique blend of experience and creativity to our special project. With seven seasons spent battling wildfires across Ontario, Quebec, BC, Alberta, and Oregon, her dedication to...
Waterax at the Wildland Urban Interface Conference March 26 – 28, 2024 Peppermill Resort, Reno, NV
Join WATERAX’s wildland dealers at this year’s Wildland Urban Interface Conference, March 26 to 28, in Reno, Nevada. The event is the premier gathering for firefighters and industry and community members to explore issues centred on the minimization and management of...
Ax Magazine Vol. 4 Is Out!
We are thrilled to announce the much-awaited release of the fourth edition of Ax Magazine! In this latest volume, we invite you to embark on an exciting journey with us as we explore intriguing stories, groundbreaking insights, and a celebration of our rich heritage...
Waterax Winner of the Innovation Award | SME 2023
The ADRIQ Innovation Awards 2023 shone on November 23 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal during the 33rd Innovation Awards Gala, bringing together over 575 participants. Under the dynamic leadership of Stéphane Bellavance, a distinguished personality in the...
Wildland Fires
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Benefits of SPUs for Wildfire Mitigation in WUIs
For WUI firefighting, Structure Protection Units—mobile units equipped with sprinkler systems—may be decisive in protecting lives and property.
MARK-3 Mechanics Training
Dive Deeper into Expertise at WATERAX Pump Mechanics Factory Training! Calling all MARK-3® pump enthusiasts! Get ready for a transformative journey at the WATERAX MARK-3® & MARK-3® Watson Edition Pump Mechanics Factory Training. In this immersive 3-day training,...
Perimeter Solutions Addresses Foam Knowledge Gap With “Know Your Foam” Training Sessions
In-Class and Hands-On Application Course Offered at No Cost to Fire Departments, Fire Management Organizations Clayton, MO 11 July 2023 – Perimeter Solutions (NYSE: PRM), a leading global manufacturer of high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives, is...
Perimeter Solutions Adds Shur-Sales as Marketing Partner to Represent Company in Western US
Shur-Sales to promote Perimeter’s portfolio of foam and retardant solutions Clayton, MO 25 April 2023 – Perimeter Solutions (NYSE: PRM), a leading global manufacturer of high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives, has entered into an agreement with...
Fire Safety Industry Transitions Focus from Wildfire Suppression to Proactive Prevention
Key Takeaways from the 2022 Wildfire Prevention Summit By Wes Bolsen The Western Fire Chiefs Association hosted its second annual Wildfire Prevention Summit earlier this year, and Perimeter Solutions proudly served as the Platinum Sponsor for the event, which examined...
As Wildfires Become More Prevalent, Fire Safety Industry Looks to the Ground
By Wes Bolsen, Business Director of Wildfire Prevention & Protection at Perimeter Solutions In a new report on wildfire activity, the United Nations says that the number of wildfires that take place around the world could double by the year 2100. Faced with this...
Aviation
CA Adds Huge New Aircraft To Fight Wildfires Two Decades After Famous Crash
Paul Rogers - The Mercury News California has a very large new tool in its arsenal to fight wildfires, and it’s a veteran that has seen battles before. State officials announced Monday that after years of waiting, they finally have a C-130 Hercules cargo plane ready...
Long-Awaited Federal Wildfire Aircraft Expected to Come to CA; When Can They Fly?
Gillian Brassil - The Sacramento Bee WASHINGTON — California is a step closer to getting long-promised firefighting aircraft in the air. The state and its fire protection agency will have to get them into shape, but the first of the seven C-130 aircraft could be in...
San Diego Sheriff’s Department Unveils Its First Night-Flying Firefighting Helicopter
El Cajon, California - November 20: New Sheriffs Department helicopters were shown during a press conference on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in El Cajon, California. The BELL 412EPX cost more than $15 million and the BELL 407GXi cost $5.5 million. (Ana Ramirez / The San...
Three Firefighters Killed in Turkish Firefighting Helicopter Crash
ISTANBUL (AP) — Underwater teams are trying to recover a helicopter that crashed in a lake over the weekend, killing three crew members, while fighting a forest fire in western Turkey, state media reported Monday. Four crew members were aboard the firefighting...
New Firefighting Planes Sought Across the Warming Planet Are on Their Way, With a Little Delay
By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press LE BOURGET, France (AP) — Production of a workhorse firefighting plane that is eagerly awaited in Europe to combat worsening mega-blazes fueled by climate change is running “a little bit” behind schedule, and the first will not be...
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...
Video: Take a Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Los Angeles County (CA) Super Scoopers
For 27 years, Los Angeles County has had a partnership with Canadian Province of Quebec. Quebec contracts to send Canadair CL-415 Super Scoopers to California for assistance with wildland fires. Battalion Chief Pat Sprengel gives a tour of the Super Scooper...
Watch How Fast This Embraer C-390 Converts from Cargo Plane to Water Bomber
Embraer reported Monday that it has successfully completed the flight testing to receive certification the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS II), which allows the C-390 Millennium to be converted from a cargo plane to perform firefighting missions. Embraer...
Videos
Remembering the Yarnell Fire with Brendan McDonough of the Granite Mountain Hotshots
A discussion about guilt, depression, and growth Fire Engineering Host Jim Burneka speaks with Brendan McDonough, the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. This episode focuses on the aftermath of the June 30th, 2013 Yarnell wildfire in which...
Take a Tour of the Missoula (MT) Fire Lab – Where Scientists Study How Wildland Fires Work
Scientists at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory research the wind, soil, and fuel conditions that come together to create a wildland fire. The lab opened in 1960, and it's currently trying to develop data that can inform a better forest management policy as...
‘Gone in 30 Seconds’ – Shingle Springs (CA) Loses Two Rigs in Wildfire at Six Rivers National Forest
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Fire Department lost two rigs when fire burning at Six Rivers National Forest overran the vehicles Monday. The crew from El Dorado County had parked the rigs what they thought was a safe distance from the fire, but a...
Colorado Springs (CO) Fights Multiple Grass Fires, Including One at Airport
Marshall Fire Destroys Hundreds Of Homes In Colorado, Thousands Evacuated
Nearly 600 homes have been destroyed in the Colorado Marshall Fire – along with hotels, shopping centers and businesses. The fire had burned 1,600 acres and was still growing Thursday night.
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...
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Bobbie on Fire
Bobbie Scopa started her career as a seasonal firefighter in 1974. After graduating from Arizona State University, she went on to work in fire and natural resource management. Eventually she left the wildand agencies to work full time for a structure fire department. She finished her Masters in Forestry at NC State then went back to the US Forest Service and BLM eventually becoming the Assistant Regional Fire Director in Region 6. Bobbie has spent many years working as a type 1 and 2 Operations Section Chief. You can listen to Bobbie tell audio stories from her long career at BobbieOnFire.com. She has also recently completed her memoir titled “Both Sides Of The Fire Line”. It will be available through Chicago Review Press late summer of 2022.
It’s Complicated
As we watch the fires burn our neighbors’ homes in southern California, we have to keep in mind...
How Civil Is Your Station?
Years ago, I was at a national fire leadership meeting for the Forest Service. The fire...
What’s the Cost?
Throughout our lives and careers, there will be times that we’re asked a question or asked to do...
Wildland Firefighting
NC Wildfires: ‘Things Have Been Brought to Our Door’
Sara Gregory The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) TRYON, N.C. — The downed power line that sparked a wildfire here that ultimately burned more than 600 acres in western North Carolina fell a couple hundred feet from where U.S. 176 has abruptly ended since Hurricane...
Rain Helps Los Angeles Firefighters but Sends Ash and Mud Flowing Down Hillsides
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rain eased on Monday after Southern California's first significant storm of the season brought weekend downpours that aided firefighters but caused ash, mud and debris to flow across streets in wildfire-burned areas. Less than an inch of rain fell...
Features
Colorado Springs (CO) Fire Department Teams Up With Students to Increase Fire Safety Awareness
Eric Young The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) (TNS) As Colorado Springs's population and construction needs continue to grow, so does the risk of wildfires throughout the city and region. With this threat in mind, the Colorado Springs Fire Department has partnered...
U.S. Prisoners Work Firefighting and Other Dangerous Jobs. But What Happens If They Are Hurt or Killed?
By MARGIE MASON and ROBIN McDOWELL Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Blas Sanchez was nearing the end of a 20-year stretch in an Arizona prison when he was leased out to work at Hickman’s Family Farms, which sells eggs that have ended up in the supply chains of huge...
Evacuees: Understanding the Other Side of the Fence
By Chad Costa This job is fantastic, and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Being able to help during someone’s worst day runs deep in all first responders’ blood. However, the past few years have put us all through the wringer. Having been involved with the...
Lessons Learned from Line-of-Duty Deaths in the Wildland
By THOMAS W. AURNHAMMER After moving from New Mexico to Colorado, I must admit that I had a lot to learn about fighting fire in the wildland. I was used to having resources in my former fire department such as water and somewhat adequate staffing. Providing fire...
