February 8 Digest: This Week in Wildfire Recovery News

February 8, 2022

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. 

Communities Navigating Recovery News

‘You Live Where You Love’: Wildfire Victims Face Decision of Whether or Not to Rebuild

From Fox 40, by Anisca Miles, Karma Dickerson | February 4, 2022

Survivors of Dixie and Caldor fires are planning to rebuild, but face a troubling decision of whether to rebuild on areas that are still fire-prone

Many Home-Based Business Owners Struggling After Marshall Fire

From The Denver Channel, by Jaclyn Allen | January 24, 2022

Some survivors of the Marshall Fire struggle with not only the loss of their homes, but the loss of their businesses

Smoke Damage Raises Questions About Safety for Homeowners After Marshall Fire

From 9news, by Kelly Reinke | February 2, 2022

Preliminary results from CU Boulder found indoor air contains higher concentrations of most chemicals including benzene

2020 Wildfire Survivors Report Health Problems, Housing Woes

From U.S. News, by Associated Press | February 5, 2022

An Oregon State University study found that survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires in Santiam Canyon still reported breathing problems, health problems and trouble finding housing a year after the fires.

FEMA Approves Millions in Fire Relief, But City Leaders Demand More

From Fox 31 | February 4, 2022

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that nearly $70 million in federal funding has been distributed to the victims of the Marshall Fire, but city leaders and groups working with victims say it is not nearly enough.

Recent and Active Fire News

The place that coal built and fire burned

From High Country News by Kate Schimel | February 7, 2022

Extractive industry laid the infrastructure for the suburban sprawl that fueled Colorado’s destructive Marshall Fire.

Before the Fire News: Building Resilience

To Save Western U.S. Forests, Cut Them Way Back, Study Suggests

From Bloomberg, by Laura Bliss | February 3, 2022

A new study proposes cutting back trees by as much as 80% in U.S. Western forests to better withstand wildfire, drought, and climate change

Climate

Climate Change Enters the Therapy Room

From The New York Times, by Ellen Barry | February 6, 2022

Ten years ago, psychologists proposed that a wide range of people would suffer anxiety and grief over climate. Skepticism about that idea is gone.

Posted in News Digest