For Throwback Thursday I found a good news story — much needed during these turbulent times. Noah Gue talks with President Obama in the White House. Photo credit, White House.The six-year-old son of a wildland firefighter was one of 15…
Congress to hold hearing on “Wildfire Management in the Midst of COVID-19”
On June 13, 2019 a four-person panel provided testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. L-R: Shawna Legarza, Director, Fire Aviation and Management, Forest Service; Jeff Rupert, Office of Wildland Fire, Department of the Interior; Chris Maisch, Alaska…
Evacuations ordered for Sawtooth Fire east of the Phoenix area
Map of the south side of the Sawtooth Fire at 12:47 a.m. MDT June 2, 2020.The incident management team for the Sawtooth Fire Tuesday morning announced the evacuation of part of Queen Valley. Firefighters expect to carry out a burnout…
Wildfire potential expected to be above normal in many western locations this summer
The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook issued today by the Predictive Services section at the National Interagency Fire Center for June through September indicates that many areas in the western United States will have above normal potential for wildfires.…
Sunset Fire closes Interstate 17 north of Phoenix
Still another wildfire has broken out in Arizona. The Sunset Fire was reported around noon Sunday and quickly required the complete closure of Interstate 17.The fire is 5 miles north of Black Canyon City, 9 miles south of Cordes Lakes,…
Evacuations ordered for the Ocotillo Fire near Cave Creek, AZ
Map showing the approximate location of heat detected by a satellite on the Ocotillo Fire northwest of Cave Creek, AZ at 1:24 p.m. MDT May 30, 2020.The Marshall’s Office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the Ocotillo Fire northwest…
BLM intends to take shortcuts to begin cutting timber after a fire
Skidder and delimber operating on a fuel management research project in the Priest River Experimental Forest in Idaho. Forest Service photo.The Bureau of Land Management will open a 30-day period during which it will accept public comments on their plans…
Shawna Legarza retires from the Forest Service Fire Director position
Shawna Legarza makes a presentation at the Aerial Firefighting Conference in Sacramento, March 13, 2018. Photo by Bill Gabbert.Shawna Legarza announced that she will be retiring from her position as Director of Fire and Aviation for the U.S. Forest Service.…
Firefighter’s symptoms trigger COVID-19 protocol
84 Fire. San Juan National Forest photo, May 5, 2020.The first time that the 11-person Durango, Colorado helitack crew all assembled in the same place they realized they were one person short. That May 7 morning one crewmember had called…
FEMA issues guidance for managing disasters in the COVID-19 environment
Last week the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season to help emergency managers and public health officials best prepare for disasters while continuing to respond to and recover from coronavirus…
A firefighters’ briefing, 2020 style
The Arrowhead Hotshots attend a briefing for the Cedar Central prescribed fire. Photo via @NIFCfire.This photo was sent out May 26, 2020 by the Twitter account of the National Interagency Fire Center, @NIFCfire: Go to Source to read more Author:…
Cherry Canyon Fire in southeast Colorado grows to nearly 12,000 acres
Cherry Canyon Fire, courtesy of Colorado Fire Prevention & Control(UPDATED at 11:43 p.m. MDT May 24, 2020)Strong winds and extremely low humidity on Saturday caused the Cherry Canyon Fire, 13 miles north of Kim, Colorado, to spread to the northwest…
Cherry Canyon Fire in southeast Colorado grows to nearly 10,000 acres
Cherry Canyon Fire, courtesy of Colorado Fire Prevention & Control(UPDATED at 11:28 a.m. MDT May 23, 2020)In an update Friday at 5:40 p.m. MDT the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control said the lightning-caused Cherry Canyon Fire had burned…
Cherry Canyon Fire in Colorado made an impressive run Thursday
Cherry Canyon Fire as seen from about 10 miles south of La Junta, Colorado. Photo by Otero County Sheriff, May 20, 2020.The Cherry Canyon Fire that was reported May 20 grew rapidly Thursday and has now burned 7,390 acres. The…
Alberta hired an additional 200 wildland firefighters this year
A fire camp in Alberta. Photo by Alberta Wildfire.Alberta Wildfire has hired an extra 200 firefighters for the 2020 season in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Their objectives in wildfire suppression remain to contain the spread of a fire spread by…
Fire in southern New Jersey expected to burn 2,100 acres
Map showing the general location of the Big Timber Fire in southern New Jersey.Fire officials with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service expect the Big Timber Fire in the southern part of the state to burn about 2,100 acres by…
Senators request PPE and testing for wildland firefighters
Developing a strategy at the Oil Creek Fire near Newcastle, Wyoming, July 1, 2012. On the right is Pennington County Fire Coordinator Denny Gorton. Photo by Bill Gabbert.Three U.S. Senators sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence today urging…
Red Flag Warnings in seven states
Red Flag Warnings May 18, 2020. NWS.The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings for May 18 in areas of Minnesota, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.(Red Flag Warnings can be modified throughout the day as NWS…
East Desert Fire burns hundreds of acres north of Phoenix
East Desert Fire north of Phoenix. Photo by Arizona State Forestry, May 17, 2020.(UPDATED at 11:31 p.m. MDT May 18, 2020)In an 11 p.m. update on Sunday Arizona State Forestry reported that the East Desert Fire north of Phoenix has…
The media is picking up on the fact that fighting wildfires is going to be even more hazardous during the pandemic
Personnel at the 36th Ave. SE Fire about 10 miles east of Naples, Florida posted May 15, 2020 by the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District.In the last few days I have seen several articles in the media about how the…