Lynzie Lowe The Reporter, Vacaville, Calif. Dec. 21—Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced Wednesday completion of more than 600 miles of underground powerlines within its service region since 2021 as part of their 10,000-Mile Undergrounding program. The...
Australia Wildfire Destroys at Least Two Homes, Injures Two
PERTH, Australia (AP) — A wildfire burning out of control on the outskirts of the Australian west coast city of Perth on Thursday destroyed at least two homes and injured two people, officials said. An emergency warning was issued for the eastern suburb of Parkerville...
Firefighters Battle a Wildfire on the Slopes of a Mountain Near Cape Town in South Africa
By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — More than 300 firefighters battled a blaze on the slopes of a mountain near Cape Town in South Africa for a second day on Wednesday and residents were evacuated from at least one neighborhood overnight,...
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...
Two ID Men Accused of Rigging Bids for Trucks and Trailers Used at Wildland Fires
Nicole Blanchard - The Idaho Statesman Two Idaho men have been charged with federal fraud and conspiracy charges after an alleged scheme to rig contract prices for firefighting equipment used by the U.S. Forest Service. In a news release Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s...
Latest Weapon in the CA War on Wildfires: Beavers!
Ed Booth Chico Enterprise-Record, Calif. Dec. 14—SACRAMENTO — With undisputable benefits to the environment, chief among them causing the retention of water in the landscape, beavers have proven value to nature. So, what's the best way to replicate those benefits?...
Preparing for the Wildland Fire Response: A New Thought on LCES
By BILL ARSENAULT Gone are the days of a fire season that is built around the summer months; it is now all year long. It’s also time to look past the thought of, “It will never happen to us.” Pick any day of the week, month, or weather season, and you will see fire...
Wildfires Continue to Burn in Western NC
Adam Wagner - The Charlotte Observer Crews are continuing to fight a pair of wildfires in western North Carolina. Heavy rains over the weekend helped U.S. Forest Service firefighter crews in their battle against the blazes, which are often taking place in steep...
New Study Sounds Alarm About Harmful Toxin Found in Wildfire Smoke, Ash, and Dust
Mary Callahan - The Press Democrat Dec. 12—Scientists at Stanford University have revealed yet another reason to be alarmed by exposure to wildfire smoke and the ash and dust left behind by high intensity fires. It turns out that catastrophic wildfires like those...
CA Firefighters Battle South Fire in Ventura County
Andrew Khouri - Los Angeles Times Ventura County firefighters continued to make steady progress Sunday in their battle against a 2,900-acre fire near the town of Somis, California, lifting previous evacuation orders. The so-called South fire, which was first reported...
US Touts New Era of Collaboration With Native American Tribes To Manage Public Lands
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government is entering a new era of collaboration with Native American and Alaska Native leaders in managing public lands and other resources, with top federal officials saying that incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into...
Private Timberland From WA to CA Lost Billions in Value Due to Wildfires
Amanda Zhou - The Seattle Times Dec. 7—A new study from Oregon State University estimates that wildfire and drought caused $11.2 billion in economic losses to privately owned timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades. The study, which...