Wildfire Alert News

    Wildfires spread rapidly

    Wildfires spread rapidly, fueled by dry conditions and strong winds, destroying vegetation, homes, and infrastructure. Smoke inhalation and poor air quality present additional health risks. Preparedness involves creating defensible space around homes, stocking N95 masks to reduce smoke exposure, and having a family evacuation plan. Through the SimpliGO app, users can access wildfire preparedness programs and resources from agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. The app’s RSS News Feeds offer updates on active fires, containment efforts, and evacuation advisories, helping users remain informed. SimpliGO’s connection to hardware providers enables users to acquire firefighting tools, air purifiers, and other resources critical for protecting their property and health.

    Wildfire News and Opinions
    Wildfire Today

    • Mental health risks for wildland firefighters mostly not studied

      By David Bruce Most research on wildland firefighter health has focused on physical health risks related to things like smoke exposure and injury. Very little research has examined the potential psychological impacts of wildland fire service work, whether that be from large scale disasters or from routine fire seasons. A review of the mental health […]

    • Regulators, critics stall Hawaii utility’s wildfire safety plan

      The historic 2023 Lahaina wildfire that killed over 100 people was caused by high winds snapping a power pole. Two years later, the island’s utility is struggling to implement prevention measures to stop the next wildfire from starting. Hawaiian Electric’s proposed wildfire safety plan has stalled in Public Utilities Commission meetings, with members saying they […]

    • California’s new Wildfire Catastrophe Model will challenge insurance companies’ ‘secretive algorithms’

      California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law into effect on Friday, which lawmakers say will push back on “secretive” wildfire risk algorithms used by insurance companies. The legislation, SB 429, requires all documentation, programs, data, and algorithms of the model relating to wildfire risk to be publicly available. The new regulations go against the […]

    • Getting animated about wildfire

      This is what happens when you let a wildfire researcher tell an undergraduate animation class his Big Ideas about the future of fire in our world. University of Melbourne’s Dr Hamish Clarke dropped into the students at nearby RMIT University and inspired them to translate his wildfire research into a set of visual animations. The […]

    • Protecting US federal lands is central to the national wildfire crisis 

      By Bob Roper Wildland firefighters are facing a formidable battle, coping with labor shortages during one of the most intense fire seasons in recent years. As a California firefighter for over 45 years — including 15 years as Ventura County Fire Protection District chief and Nevada State Forester — I know firsthand that when it comes to […]