Wildfire and Wildland-Urban Interface
Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore acknowledged that the department’s after-action report on the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire was edited to reduce criticism of LAFD leadership
Families of wildfire victims say trauma, illness and suicide followed the Palisades Fire, filing lawsuits that name Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other agencies as responsible
Fueled by predicted 90 mph Santa Ana wind gusts, the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted hours apart on Jan. 7, 2025, burning 59 square miles, killing 31 people and destroying 16,246 structures
President Freddy Escobar alleges Mayor Karen Bass retaliated after he publicly said LAFD was underfunded during January’s Palisades fire
The festival, hosted by Fire Safe Marin, brought together all local fire agencies, nonprofits and vendors for live-burn demos and practical home-hardening tips
Bill boosts prison firefighter wages from about $1 to the federal minimum, while the sheriffs’ association objects to costs and notes existing sentence credits
A new after-action review says agencies were overwhelmed, the EOC was largely ineffective, alert tools went underused and outdated policies delayed orders, echoing Woolsey-era warnings as west Altadena burned during the Eaton fire.
LAFD Interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva said crews “cold-trailed” the 8-acre fire and didn’t use thermal cameras, a decision critics call “hard to justify”
Prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht lit a Jan. 1 fire that smoldered, reignited Jan. 7, and killed 12
Supervisors grilled fire and OEM leaders over late, confusing warnings during the Palisades and Eaton wildfires
Fire-focused federal programs face closures, furloughs and funding gaps as essential disaster response continues
The U.S. Forest Service is delaying prevention grants, while FEMA and the National Weather Service trim services and warn of funding gaps
Contingency plans from the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management outline which fire operations will continue during funding lapse
A falling tree struck the seasonal firefighter on the Tinker Bugs fire in the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests
The Department of Lands is testing OroraTech’s thermal-imaging satellites for near-real-time fire alerts
Review cites outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communication gaps that slowed warnings as the Eaton and Palisades fires killed over 30
Rigoberto Hernandez was freed from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after federal lawyers moved to dismiss his removal case
The remote-controlled machine conducts precise, low-disruption burns along roads and neighborhoods, drawing interest from firefighters, utilities and lawmakers
UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia network last year detected 1,668 fires, including 636 before any 911 call
The state is backing research into firefighting and cancer, citing 9/11-scale exposure concerns and developing stronger protections for crews battling wildfires near cities
CAL FIRE plans new training and protocol updates as lawsuits from the 2023 helicopter collision moves forward
After reporting on smoke-linked illnesses and pressure from lawmakers, the agency will stock and provide N95s for light use, while still barring masks during arduous work
Firefighter/Equipment Operator J. Hank Hester collapsed during suppression repair and hazardous tree removal at the Dragon Bravo Fire
Unable to hose 200-foot crowns, crews battling the Garnet Fire climb the trees to knock out smoldering debris after sprinklers and clearing spared the famed Sierra Nevada grove from damage
Time-card discrepancies at Bear Gulch led a BLM ranger to call Border Patrol, detaining two contract firefighters and sparking controversy over immigration enforcement during wildfire operations
Authorities say the firefighter collapsed during suppression operations on the Dragon Bravo Fire, which has burned 227 square miles since July 4
After federal agents detained two workers at the Bear Gulch wildfire, Commissioner Wayne Fournier advances an ordinance to bar uncoordinated arrests and safeguard first responders on fire lines
An early-morning blaze leveled the 19th-century landmark in Gilford and scorched two acres of woodland
The fast-moving 6-5 Fire scorched more than 4,000 acres, forcing evacuations in the Gold Rush town of Chinese Camp
Veteran wildland firefighters say the unprecedented raid at the Bear Gulch fire undermined trust on the fire line, raising fears that crews could face immigration checks while battling active blazes
The man reportedly received a U-Visa certification in 2017 after helping federal investigators solve a crime
A game camera owner warned Scarborough firefighters about traps at the site, where holes and other deterrents had been set up to protect belongings
The arrests came during a federal investigation that led the Bureau of Land Management to end contracts with two Oregon-based forestry companies
MOST POPULAR
- LODD: Firefighter suffers cardiac emergency while battling Mont. wildfire
- U.S. Forest Service reverses course, issues masks to wildland firefighters but keeps ban in place
- Calif. FF takes to GoFundMe to restore home devastated by wildfire
- Body of pilot found in crash during Ore. wildfire
- Interactive map: Crews battle more than 200 wildfires across the Carolinas