February 15 Digest: This Week in Wildfire Recovery News
This is a digest of selected news and media that emerged over the last week related to wildfire emergencies, recovery efforts, and resilience building efforts in the American West.
Marshall Fire Cleanup Expected to Cost $52.6 Million Under Boulder County’s Contract(opens in new tab)
From The Denver Post, by Noelle Phillips | February 11, 2022
FEMA will pay bulk of the bill for DRC Emergency Services’ work clearing burned homes
More Than a Year After the East Troublesome Fire, Some Grand Lake Residents Still Don’t Have Housing(opens in new tab)
From CPR News | February 10, 2022
Residents worry the lost housing stock could forever change the community's demographics after East Troublesome fire
PG&E Faces 33 Criminal Charges in Sonoma County's Kincade Fire(opens in new tab)
From ABC 10 by Brandon Rittiman | February 8, 2022
PG&E admits that its powerline sparked the 2019 Kincade Fire. But the company argues any mistakes it made were “good faith judgment calls” and “not crimes.”
Southern California Wildfire Burns Near Coastal Homes(opens in new tab)
From New York Post by Associated Press | February 10, 2022
A wildfire fanned by gusty Santa Ana winds erupted in hills on the Southern California coast and burned near homes early Thursday.
Wind-Fanned Brush Fire Above the Orange County Coast Forces Evacuations(opens in new tab)
From NBC by Jonathan Lloyd and Oleevia Woo | February 10, 2022
An early morning brush fire burned on a hillside above homes in the Emerald Bay area.
Do You Live in a ‘Double-Hazard’ Wildfire Zone? This Stanford Study Answers That Question(opens in new tab)
From Deseret News, by Matthew Brown | February 11, 2022
A recent wildfire study locates newly identified “double hazard” zones for wildfires, shedding more light on why wildfires in the past several years have been so destructive to surrounding communities in the West.
Plant-Water Sensitivity Regulates Wildfire Vulnerability(opens in new tab)
From Nature.com, by Krishna Rao, A. Park Williams, Noah S. Diffenbaugh, Marta Yebra & Alexandra G. Konings | February 7, 2022
As plant-water sensitivity is strongly linked to wildfire vulnerability, accounting for ecophysiological controls should improve wildfire forecasts. If recent trends in VPD and demographic shifts continue, human wildfire risk will probably continue to increase.
New Mexico to House Federal Database on Wildfire Research and Information(opens in new tab)
From ABC Action News, by Jessie Cohen | February 14, 2022
Information based on researching and studying ways to restore our forests and prevent devastation will be shared through a federal database based in New Mexico
Confronting Drought With the Tools of Nature(opens in new tab)
From Governing.com, by Felicia Marcus and Jill Ozarski | February 14, 2022
There are successful models for leveraging natural systems to improve water quality and supplies, enhance biodiversity and blunt the ravages of wildfires. There’s even something we can learn from beavers.
Warmer Winter Temperatures Causing Increased Risk of Earlier Bay Area Wildfire Season(opens in new tab)
From ABC 7 News, by Tim Johns | February 9, 2022
The lack of rain means vegetation flammability metrics are currently at levels closer to those typical of the summertime months.
Drought Impacts on Upcoming Wildfire Season(opens in new tab)
From Keyt.com, by Kelsey Gerckens | February 11, 2022
As weather throughout the first weeks of February continue to be completely dry, with temperatures in the 80s, new drought maps show no improvement for California’s drought status this month
Soak up the February Sun? Not Without Climate Change Guilt in California(opens in new tab)
From Politico, by Debra Kahn | February 12, 2022
Californians are seeing a dark side to balmy February temperatures.
Local Forestry Firms Awarded US Forest Service Wildland Firefighting Contracts(opens in new tab)
From KDRV.com, by Jamie Parfitt | February 10, 2022
Oregon's US Senators on Thursday announced that eight Oregon forestry companies have been awarded wildland firefighting contracts with the US Forest Service, including three local firms.