Channel Island Air National Guard MAFFS Fights Rim Fire California has called on all available resources to fight the Rim Fire in Tuolumne County and Yosemite National Park, including calling up the California National Guard to support ground crews from […]
The Rim Fire began August 17 on the mountain ridges in Tuolumne County, Calif. (Photo via Inciweb) The Rim Fire is out of control and has entered a remote section of Yosemite National Park. In just six days, the blaze […]
A crew makes their way toward the line on the Alum Fire, which has burned more than 7,000 acres in Yellowstone National Park. (Photo via Inciweb) There are 49 large, uncontained fires in the U.S. The national preparedness level is […]
A portable water tank is set up to fill the tank on the U.S. Forest Service’s Twin Otter aircraft, which was used in July at the Papoose Fire in the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho. (USDA photo by Casey Teske) […]
Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) continues to aggressively pursue legislation aimed at reducing the risk of wildfires to local communities — and senators are starting to pressure FEMA. On July 30, Udall and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislation that […]
A MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) equipped C-130E makes a fire retardant drop on the Simi Fire in Southern California in 2003. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt Dennis W. Goff) Where are the air tankers? […]
The 2013 Fire Season: Climate change. Aging tanker fleets. Sequestration. Layoffs. Fewer firefighter hires. Less equipment. Millions cut from fire preparedness funds. A tug of war over fire management policy. Dire predictions of uncontrolled wildfires. Welcome to the most uncertain […]