'Cadillac insurance'? Hunt for private firefighters as California burns
Ingalsbee said he is alarmed by the rise of “Cadillac” insurance plans for wealthy people which include bespoke fire emergency response. “It’s for wealthy homes – the insurance company doesn’t want to pay for loss – so it’s cheaper for them to hire a crew and an engine,” he explained. “But they don’t defend the whole neighborhood or city block, that’s not their mission.” Ingalsbee is concerned about a future where access to firefighting resources is increasingly determined by income, or insurance policies. “It comes at the expenses of the public sphere,” he said. “And I don’t think it’s good for our communities.”
Ingalsbee said he is alarmed by the rise of “Cadillac” insurance plans for wealthy people which include bespoke fire emergency response. “It’s for wealthy homes – the insurance company doesn’t want to pay for loss – so it’s cheaper for them to hire a crew and an engine,” he explained. “But they don’t defend the whole neighborhood or city block, that’s not their mission.” Ingalsbee is concerned about a future where access to firefighting resources is increasingly determined by income, or insurance policies. “It comes at the expenses of the public sphere,” he said. “And I don’t think it’s good for our communities.”
The West is burning, so California struggles to find help fighting its wildfires
A June memo from the U.S. Forest Service Chief stressed the policy and put it in the pandemic context, as a strategy to put fires out quickly to limit crews’ exposure to COVID-19 while in the field. That has meant crews are busy on almost every fire, even those that might be observed and allowed to burn. To Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the Oregon-based group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, it’s a misguided approach. “It’s not humanly possible to put out all fires,” he said. “We need to focus on the fires that really matter, to save lives and homes, and shift resources to them. The future is to safely manage wildfires, to steer them. You don’t need hundreds of firefighters to do that.”
A June memo from the U.S. Forest Service Chief stressed the policy and put it in the pandemic context, as a strategy to put fires out quickly to limit crews’ exposure to COVID-19 while in the field. That has meant crews are busy on almost every fire, even those that might be observed and allowed to burn. To Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of the Oregon-based group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, it’s a misguided approach. “It’s not humanly possible to put out all fires,” he said. “We need to focus on the fires that really matter, to save lives and homes, and shift resources to them. The future is to safely manage wildfires, to steer them. You don’t need hundreds of firefighters to do that.”
They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won’t Anybody Listen?
“The fire community, the progressives, are almost in a state of panic,” Ingalsbee said. There’s only one solution, the one we know yet still avoid. “We need to get good fire on the ground and whittle down some of that fuel load. You won’t find any climate deniers on the fire line.”
“The fire community, the progressives, are almost in a state of panic,” Ingalsbee said. There’s only one solution, the one we know yet still avoid. “We need to get good fire on the ground and whittle down some of that fuel load. You won’t find any climate deniers on the fire line.”
When Disaster Strikes
Oregon is battling several wildfires at the moment caused by a heatwave, none of which are a threat to citizens yet, says Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology (FUSEE). He adds that the status of fires changes daily, so it’s difficult to keep up with them and give an overview.
“Many of these fires that are burning are not ecological disasters. They are in very remote country,” he says. He adds that Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency recently, which allows firefighters to access more funding in fighting the fires.
Oregon is battling several wildfires at the moment caused by a heatwave, none of which are a threat to citizens yet, says Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology (FUSEE). He adds that the status of fires changes daily, so it’s difficult to keep up with them and give an overview.
“Many of these fires that are burning are not ecological disasters. They are in very remote country,” he says. He adds that Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency recently, which allows firefighters to access more funding in fighting the fires.
COVID-19 could threaten firefighters as wildfire season ramps up
Jon Paul was leery entering his first wildfire camp of the year late last month to fight three lightning-caused fires scorching parts of a Northern California forest that hadn’t burned in 40 years.
Jon Paul was leery entering his first wildfire camp of the year late last month to fight three lightning-caused fires scorching parts of a Northern California forest that hadn’t burned in 40 years.
Fire behavior analyst calculates the probability of embers from Mount Rushmore fireworks igniting wildfires
With a large fireworks show slated to be carried out this evening over the Mount Rushmore sculpture and the surrounding pine forest, I solicited a fire expert, a Fire Behavior Analyst, to develop a forecast to predict the danger presented by the burning embers that fall to the ground.
With a large fireworks show slated to be carried out this evening over the Mount Rushmore sculpture and the surrounding pine forest, I solicited a fire expert, a Fire Behavior Analyst, to develop a forecast to predict the danger presented by the burning embers that fall to the ground.
Bighorn Fire: Questions raised about effectiveness of flame retardant used against wildfires
“That was an amazing amount of retardant, a phenomenal amount,” Ingalsbee said of the 358,000 gallons. “This sure smells like a retardant bombing boondoggle.”
“That was an amazing amount of retardant, a phenomenal amount,” Ingalsbee said of the 358,000 gallons. “This sure smells like a retardant bombing boondoggle.”
Senators Machin, Udall introduce firefighter protections bill during COVID-19 pandemic
A new bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Tom Udall (D-NM), ranking members of the Committee of Energy and Natural Resources and Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies respectively, proposes to test and ensure workers’ compensation coverage for federal firefighters working during COVID-19.
A new bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Tom Udall (D-NM), ranking members of the Committee of Energy and Natural Resources and Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies respectively, proposes to test and ensure workers’ compensation coverage for federal firefighters working during COVID-19.
Guest View: The definition of insanity
It's become a trite but true saying the definition of insanity is doing the same acts over and over yet expecting different results. This is definitely the case with timber industry lobbyists stridently arguing for increased logging and firefighting on public lands.
It's become a trite but true saying the definition of insanity is doing the same acts over and over yet expecting different results. This is definitely the case with timber industry lobbyists stridently arguing for increased logging and firefighting on public lands.
Protestors Decry Logging Planned Near Springfield
“It’s a really nice piece of public land, close to Springfield, close to Eugene. And so we’re out here and we’re just asking that Seneca not clear-cut our public lands.”
Cowen says the group dispersed after about 45 minutes. They'd planned to be there for about an hour. The BLM says the logging would not increase fire risks to the area. A Seneca spokesperson, Casey Roscoe, says the protestors are spreading falsehoods. She says the project is not a clear-cut and that a fuel specialist who analysed the project says it does not increase fire risk
“It’s a really nice piece of public land, close to Springfield, close to Eugene. And so we’re out here and we’re just asking that Seneca not clear-cut our public lands.”
Cowen says the group dispersed after about 45 minutes. They'd planned to be there for about an hour. The BLM says the logging would not increase fire risks to the area. A Seneca spokesperson, Casey Roscoe, says the protestors are spreading falsehoods. She says the project is not a clear-cut and that a fuel specialist who analysed the project says it does not increase fire risk
Cerro Grande Fire remains burned into New Mexico's memory 20 years later
“They didn’t have enough people,” said Tom Ribe of Santa Fe, author of the 2010 book Inferno by Committee, which recounts the Cerro Grande Fire with a critical eye. “They needed to have two or three times the people on the prescribed fire from Day One.” Those overseeing the fire were in a hurry to get it done, which led to errors in judgment, said Ribe, a longtime public lands advocate.
“They didn’t have enough people,” said Tom Ribe of Santa Fe, author of the 2010 book Inferno by Committee, which recounts the Cerro Grande Fire with a critical eye. “They needed to have two or three times the people on the prescribed fire from Day One.” Those overseeing the fire were in a hurry to get it done, which led to errors in judgment, said Ribe, a longtime public lands advocate.