Labor Day Fire Analysis
In September 2020, Oregon experienced the most extreme wildfire event in the state’s history. In a matter of days, the "Labor Day Fires" ripped across vast swaths of public and private forestland on the westside of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains—a region that rarely sees widespread fire activity. Thousands of homes were lost, numerous people died, and over 10% of Oregon’s population was placed on some level of evacuation notice. Now that the smoke has cleared, researchers from around the region have begun to study the event to draw lessons about wildfire behavior under extreme weather events. Our team initiated this research project in November 2020 to drill into the following question: How do fuel conditions (and associated forest practices) influence wildfire behavior during extreme weather events?
Good Fire: Current Barriers to the Expansion of Cultural Burning and Prescribed Fire in California and Recommended Solutions
In 2020, over four percent of California burned in wildfire. Over 30 people lost their lives in the fires; experts estimate an additional 3,000 premature deaths may have resulted from wildfire smoke. Property damage is expected to top $10 billion.
Leadership in Forest Management
Leadership. It's a simple word that can be as complex as an August lightning bust. Its principles are beaten into individuals and organizations, but they're only as useful as the person who cares enough to think about how to apply them.
FireWatch Part 4: A Guide to Online Wildfire Information Gathering of CalFire Incidents
Learn how to monitor CALFIRE suppression operations to document its costly and destructive firefighting actions on private and state lands.
Forest Wisdom Found At The Golf Course?
It was a little rich having Donald Trump and Mike Pence coming in from New York and Indiana to tell California’s governor and state scientists that they need to “manage forests” to confront unprecedented wildfire. For those of us deeply involved in fire and land management on federal lands in the West, their know-it-all scolding was laughable, condescending, ignorant and mildly insulting.
In Oregon’s 2020 fires, highly managed forests burned the most
This record-breaking fire season has re-ignited discussions about causes of severe fires. One long-standing narrative is that fire suppression has resulted in ‘overgrown’ forests that fuel larger and more intense fires than occur under more intense management (the “fuels narrative”). This narrative, promoted by timber interests and the president, among others, is irrelevant within the context of Oregon's major western Cascades fires.
America’s Black Tuesday
“This could be the greatest loss of life and structures… in state history.”
Watch Out Situation: Disastrous Suppression Spending From Wildfire Disaster Funding
We must stop disastrous suppression overspending that is certainly not preventing wildfire disasters. Strategic investments in fire planning, fuels management, and community preparedness are the way to wisely use limited taxpayer dollars.
War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength: Orwellian Spin on the Red Salmon Complex Fire
It's a big deal that the USFS is waging their war against wildfire in the Karuk's homeland, and brought their Big Iron war machines into the Trinity Alps Wilderness. In essence, it represents the latest invasion and imposition of white settler-colonialism.
Community Destruction During Extreme Wildfires is a Home Ignition Problem
For the sake of fiscal responsibility, scientific integrity, and effective outcomes, it’s high time we abandon the tired and disingenuous policies of our century-old all-out war on wildfire, and fuel treatments conducted under the guise of protecting communities. Instead, let’s focus on mitigating Wildland/Urban fire risk where ignitions are determined – within the home ignition zone.
Don’t stop or shop, until you drop
“Permission has been given to use one blade wide dozer lines in the wilderness.”
Wildland Firefighting as an Extreme Sport
There are intrinsic gratifications for being a wildland firefighter that we dare not admit lest the public know that we're not into it just for the fame or fortune--we're in it for the fun!
