prescribed fires News

New Mexico Seeks Changes to US Rules for Wildfire Claims

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is asking that changes be made to rules proposed by the U.S. government as it processes damage claims from a historic wildfire sparked by forest managers. Balderas filed comments on …

Prescribed Fires Resume at U.S. National Forests

The U.S. Forest Service is resuming its practice of intentionally lighting fires to clear brush and small trees from forested areas nationwide after a three-month hiatus to review the risks of runaway wildfires under increasingly severe climate conditions, the agency …

Plan Released to Reduce Massive Wildfires in US West

BOISE, Idaho — U.S. officials on Friday released an overarching plan for removing or changing vegetation over a huge swath of the U.S. West to stop devastating wildfires on land used for cattle ranching, recreation and habitat for imperiled sage …

Goals to Fight Fire with Fire Often Fall Short in US West

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — The thick scent of smoke hung in the midday air when a trail along the Kings River opened up to an ominous scene: flames in the trees and thick gray smoke shrouding canyon walls. …

Prescribed Burns on the Decline

Forest managers would prefer to use prescribed burns every few years to help prevent costly wildfires and rebuild unhealthy ecosystems, but hurdles like staffing, budget, liability and new development hinder them, a new University of Florida study shows. Fighting wildfires …