Europe’s fire summer still a concern
After a brief respite for parts of Europe, extreme and very extreme wildfire conditions are forecast across most of southern, central and eastern Europe. The main areas of wildfire risk are in Spanish Iberia, France, the Alps, northern Italy, western Balkans, …
Prescribed burning gets hazard pay coverage under final rule passage
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service celebrated what it called a “well-deserved win” for the nation’s firefighters after prescribed wildland fire duties were officially made eligible for hazardous duty pay. The Office of Personnel Management on Tue…
Fish and Wildlife officer dies while evacuating family from Oklahoma’s Railroad South Fire
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officer died while helping evacuate residents threatened by the Railroad South Fire in Oklahoma, the Department of the Interior announced on Sunday. The officer was identified at 38-year-old David Taylor of Scio, Oregon…
Risky science: why connecting research to application matters
There is not much benefit in producing science that just sits on a shelf. Effective science must extend beyond publication and address real-world needs argues Lynn Johnston, a Forest Fire Research Specialist with Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Fores…
Details of fatal firefighter helicopter crash during Colorado’s Gold Mountain Fire revealed
The first investigation report into a helicopter crash that left a pilot dead during Colorado’s Gold Mountain Fire on July 12 was released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday. The pilot, 56-year-old Nicholas Dale of Sooke, British Co…
The where, when and how of fuel treatment decisions
With a big landscape, a limited budget and a diverse set of community objectives, how do we decide where, when and how fuel treatments are best undertaken to reduce wildfire risks? Decision makers have a set of options – conduct a prescribed burn, mechanically…
Call for IAWF Directors
Join the International Association of Wildland Fire Board of Directors! Help shape the future of wildland fire management and contribute to the IAWF mission as a communicator and a leader in this vital field. As a global network for learning and knowledge for …
Wildland firefighters warned not to take supplements for smoke or PFAS exposure
A drug marketed to wildland firefighters exposed to smoke or PFAS shows no evidence of being effective, leading the International Association of Firefighters and the Food and Drug Administration to warn against its use. The drug, called glutathione, is markete…
Over 90,000 evacuate as uncontained Hawk Fire burns outside Reno, Nevada
The Hawk Fire burning northwest of Reno, Nevada, triggered the evacuations of over 90,000 people on Sunday, according to fire crews working the incident. The wildfire, which ignited on Saturday morning and has since been determined to be human-caused, has burn…
Studying combined fuel treatments gives us a better picture of effectiveness
While many studies have established that fuel treatments are an effective wildfire mitigation tool, the gap in our understanding has been how a range of different treatments work together over many years across large areas to produce a desired outcome. Researc…