fire suppression News

Controlled Burns Seen as the Lesser of Two Evils

About 30 members of the crew stood in the morning still of the Oregon forest as Katie Sauerbrey laid out the plans for the day. Some carried shovels or pickaxes. Others leaned against trucks and peered at maps of the …

Oregon Fire Crews Bulldoze Fire Lines Into Wilderness to Stop Fire

Kristi Mastrofini stared down the roaring gun barrel of the deadly Klamathon fire that was ready to burst through Oregon’s southern door. In just its second day, the 9,600-acre fire had killed one man in Northern California and swept through …

Forest Thinning Project Saved Oregon Homes From Fires

Lightning started a forest fire one August afternoon near this Oregon tourist town, and it was spreading fast. Residents in outlying areas evacuated as flames marched toward their homes. Just a few months earlier, the U.S. Forest Service and a …

Reforms up Against Industry Norms After New Jersey Apartment Fire

The fire that destroyed most of a large apartment complex in northern New Jersey last month has prompted talk of legislation to toughen building codes, an effort that would butt up against long-established building practices like the use of lightweight …

Boeing 787 Owners May Have to Replace Parts Near Lithium Battery

The U.S. aviation safety regulator has proposed requiring operators of some Boeing Co 787 Dreamliners to replace parts near the plane’s lithium battery in an effort to improve the plane’s ability to fight an on-board fire. In a directive issued …

Colorado Purchases Fire-Spotting Planes to Battle Wildfires

Colorado will begin a new strategy for fighting wildfires in the coming weeks, deploying aircraft designed to pinpoint the location of blazes quicker after the first sighting of smoke with the aim of beginning suppression efforts faster. The state is …

Researcher Says Western Wildfires Getting Bigger, More Intense

Wildfires across the western United States have been getting bigger and more frequent over the last 30 years – a trend that could continue as climate change causes temperatures to rise and drought to become more severe in the coming …

Montana County Resolution Says Firefighters Not Required to Protect Homes

Lewis and Clark County commissioners have passed a resolution that says the location of homes will no longer dictate fire-suppression tactics or where fire lines are placed. The Missoulian reports the resolution means firefighters will not be obligated to protect …

As Wildfires Rage, Feds Cut Funding on Prevention

As the West battles one catastrophic wildfire after another, the federal government is spending less and less on its main program for preventing blazes in the first place. A combination of government austerity and the ballooning cost of battling the …