Wildland Fire News

A selection of news releases and stories related to wildland fire management. For details about ongoing wildfires, visit the National Interagency Fire Center.

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Increasing Wildfires Are Causing Greater Air Pollution
Smoke rising from the Tamarack Fire. Photo by the Forest Service.
5/6/2022
As we recognize National Air Quality Awareness Week, we explore how increasing wildfires are producing a record amount of smoke emissions, impacting the health of people across the country.
In the News: Massive Wildfires Helped Fuel Global Forest Losses in 2021 (www.washingtonpost.com)
Flames rise from the 2021 Ford Corkscrew Fire in Washington at night. Photo by KS Brooks, USFWS.
5/2/2022
Around the globe, 2021 brought more devastating losses for the world's forests, according to a new survey. Fires accounted for more than a third of the world's tree cover losses last year, the largest share on record.
In the News: Department Of Labor Announces Streamlined Claims Process for Federal Firefighters with Certain Occupational Illnesses (www.dol.gov)
Silhouetted firefighters. Photo by USDA.
4/26/2022
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a policy bulletin announcing changes by its Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs to assist federal firefighters with certain occupational illnesses by making it easier for claimants to file certain claims and improving transparency in how claims are processed.
In the News: President Biden Signs Executive Order to Strengthen America’s Forests, Boost Wildfire Resilience, and Combat Global Deforestation (www.whitehouse.gov)
White House photo
4/22/2022
On Earth Day, President Biden signed an Executive Order to expand his Administration’s historic and bold efforts to tackle the climate crisis, make our nation more resilient to extreme weather, and strengthen local economies.
In the News: Pacific Northwest Wildfires Alter Air Pollution Patterns Across North America (news.ucar.edu)
Smoke rising from the Tamarack Fire. Photo by the Forest Service.
4/22/2022
Increasingly large and intense wildfires in the Pacific Northwest are altering the seasonal pattern of air pollution and causing a spike in unhealthy pollutants in August, new research finds. The smoke is undermining clean air gains, posing potential risks to the health of millions of people, according to the study.
Scientists Help Re-introduce Healthy Fire in Florida Forests
A duff workshop offered by the Southern Fire Exchange. By David Godwin, Southern Fire Exchange.
4/14/2022
Restoring healthy fire to long-unburned forests is a complex process. When trees began to die after prescribed fires in Florida, research funded by the Joint Fire Science Program identified the cause, and the Southern Fire Exchange Network helped local land managers act on the findings to restore healthy ecosystems.
Secretary Haaland Highlights Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Wildfire Response Investments in Colorado
Firefighters walk through smoke and extinguish flames at the Lava Fire.
4/12/2022
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Colorado, where she and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with federal wildland fire leadership to discuss local, state, and federal wildland fire preparedness and response that will be bolstered by historic investments through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
In the News: U.S. Fires Quadrupled in Size, Tripled in Frequency in 20 Years (eos.org)
The glow of the 2020 Inchelium Complex Fire in Washington at night. Photo by KS Brooks, FWS.
4/11/2022
Throughout the 2000s, fires increased in number, size, and frequency across the contiguous United States compared with the previous two decades, new research has shown. These fire pattern changes, which threaten human and ecosystem health, are attributed to a combination of climate change impacts and human expansion into new and burnable land.
Interior Department Releases Five-Year Monitoring, Maintenance and Treatment Plan to Address Wildfire Risk
A wildland firefighter at work. Photo by Lance Cheung, USDA.
4/4/2022
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $1.5 billion to the Department of the Interior’s Wildland Fire Management Program to address wildfire risk and prepare communities and ecosystems against the threat of wildfire by making historic investments in forest restoration, hazardous fuels management and post-wildfire restoration. Today, the Department released a roadmap for achieving these objectives in coordination with federal, non-federal, and Tribal partners. 
Opening Doors for Women in Fire with Melissa Forder
NPS national fire planner Melissa Forder.
3/31/2022
March is Women’s History Month. This year, we’re highlighting some of the trailblazing women that are improving wildland fire management. Meet the national fire planner for the National Park Service, Melissa Forder. 
Jumping Off the Cliff with Cynthia Moses-Nedd
Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire chief of staff, Cynthia Moses-Nedd.
3/31/2022
March is Women’s History Month. This year, we’re highlighting some of the trailblazing women that are improving wildland fire management. Meet the chief of staff for Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire, Cynthia Moses-Nedd. 
Increasing Our Understanding of Wildfires through Diverse Perspectives with Jolie Pollet
BLM division chief for fire planning and fuels management, Jolie Pollet.
3/31/2022
March is Women’s History Month. This year, we’re highlighting some of the trailblazing women that are improving wildland fire management. Meet the division chief for fire planning and fuels management at the Bureau of Land Management, Jolie Pollet. 
President’s 2023 Budget Proposes Significant Investments to Address the Nation’s Wildfire Crisis
Wildland Fire, Press Release
The Summit Trail Fire.
3/28/2022
The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2023. It proposes a significant increase for the Department of the Interior’s Wildland Fire Management Program to address the effects of climate change and the impacts of wildfires on public health, communities, and natural and cultural resources. 
Biden-Harris Administration Issues Call for Wildfire Commission Member Applications
Firefighters walk through smoke and extinguish flames at the Lava Fire.
3/10/2022
The Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are now accepting applications for members to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
Keeping Good Company: A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and CAL FIRE Partnership, Part 3
Personnel complete a joint USFWS and CAL FIRE prescribed fire.
3/4/2022
Partnerships will be key to addressing the new norm of more frequent, severe wildfires and implementing the historic new funding for federal wildland fire management provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. A partnership in California showcases how two agencies can collaborate to more effectively respond to wildfires on both state- and federally-managed lands. This third installment explores the importance of that partnership around national wildlife refuges in Merced County.

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