January 4 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.
How the Elite U.S. Forest Service Hotshots Battle Wildfires
From NBC News, by Emilie Ikeda | December 17, 2021
Members of the U.S. Forest Service hotshots team battle the Windy Fire and share about the mental toll of the tough fire season, and how they use their specialized training against the toughest blazes.
Santa Cruz County Residents Faced More Wildfires, Storms and Evacuations
From Santa Cruz Sentinel, by Hannah Hagemann | December 31, 2021
With the oscillation between wildfires and storms meaning thousands faced evacuations throughout the year, residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains continue to feel local impacts from climate change
California’s Forever Fire
From ProPublica, by Elizabeth Weil | January 3, 2022
After another devastating year, it’s clear that Californians can’t keep trying to “fight” wildfires. Instead, they need to accept it as their new reality.
Homes for Good Plans to Redevelop Mobile Home Park Destroyed by Holiday Farm Fire
From The Register-Guard, by Louis Krauss | December 30, 2021
Homes for Good plans to build 21 new units for the mobile homes lost, and replace 15 RV spots after wildfire that destroyed 400 homes total in the McKenzie River Valley in September 2020
Trails Reopen After Vast Destruction From Labor Day 2020 Wildfires
From KATU.com, by Evan Schreiber | December 30, 2021
4,000 acres of the Santiam State Forest will soon re-open to public access after the wildfires heavily impacted the public land.
OPINION Disaster Victims Shouldn't Have to Run a PR Campaign to Get Federal Aid
From Los Angeles Times, by Matt Sedlar, Trisha Cumbra | January 3, 2022
Disaster victims face an entirely new dilemma of fighting to receive federal aid after suffering through the trauma of natural disasters
‘I Thought I Was Broken’: When Wildland Firefighters Head Home, Trauma Takes Hold
From The Guardian, by Gabrielle Canon | December 31, 2021
Increase in time spent battling harsh wildfires is leading to greater mental health struggles in firefighters
Here's What Happened to Animals Rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn Fires in 2021
From Record Searchlight, by Jessica Skropanic | January 2, 2022
Animals rescued from Dixie, Lava, Antelope, and Fawn fires are cared for by wildlife experts and neighbors, receiving medical care and bunking at animal refuges where they are fed by volunteers and helped to keep their specialized skills and wild ways.
Woolsey Fire Rebuild Progress Update
From Canyon News, by Casey | December 30, 2021
Environmental Sustainability Director and Building Official Yolanda Bundy gave a presentation about the current status of all of the 454 homes destroyed and discussed challenges homeowners are facing and potential ways to address bottlenecks in the process
When Utilities Spark Wildfires in Washington, They Can ‘Burn Down Your House and Get Away With It’
From The Seattle Times, by Rebecca Moss | January 2, 2022
Puget Sound Energy, whose power line sparked first flames of Washington Labor Day fire in 2020, most likely will not be held responsible for damage under Washington's law
Fires Can Help Forests Hold Onto Carbon—if They’re Set the Right Way
From Popular Science, by Angely Mercado | December 30, 2021
Wildfires can turn forests into greenhouse gas emitters, but a return to regular burn cycles could change that
California Continues to Face Wildfire Risks. Insurers Think They Have an Answer.
From Politico, by Debra Kahn | December 30, 2021
Though state leaders have poured money into firefighting and clearing brush from drought-parched forests, insurers think they can do more by refusing to back homes facing a high risk of burning up each year
San Diego Fire Department Idles Crews as COVID-19 Related Absences Mount
From The San Diego Union-Tribune, by Lyndsay Winkley, David Hernandez | January 2, 2022
After more than a hundred San Diego firefighters are in isolation due to the coronavirus, department leaders are forced to put together emergency brownout plan outlining which fire crews will be idled if staffing shortages demand it
New Funding for Watershed Health and Forest Restoration Around Shasta and Trinity Lakes
From Jefferson Public Radio, by Sophia Prince | December 30, 2021
$25 million in grant money that will fund wildfire recovery and forest health through the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, will soon be available for areas of Shasta, Trinity and Siskiyou County.
Gov. Gianforte: State of Montana More than Doubles Forested Acres Treated in 2021
From Montana.Gov: Official State Website | December 29, 2021
Governor Greg Gianforte announces along with Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation that State of Montana reached its goal to more than double the number of forested acres put under management in 2021.
Are Radioactive Wildfires Next on California’s Apocalyptic Climate-Change Guest List?
From The San Francisco Chronicle, by Ethan Fang | January 3, 2022
Radiation proves to be a possible hazard coming from the smoke released from wildfires
Is Wildfire Arson Getting Worse in California? Climate Change Doesn’t Help
From Los Angeles Times, by Hayley Smith | December 31, 2021
Though the news headlines may lead some to believe wildfire arson is growing worse and worse and is the cause for the growing intensity of fires in California, research shows that arson only represents a fraction of California’s fire starts each year and that increasingly dry conditions and overgrown forests are what cause sparks to ignite into blazes
Scientist Says Climate Change Worsened Colorado Fire
from Reuters | January 3, 2022
Fires Outside of Denver Were the Most Destructive in Colorado History
From npr.org, by David Gura | January 1, 2022
Interview with Colorado Public Radio's Sam Brasch about the reason for and level of destruction of the recent Colorado fires
“Where Do We Go to Escape This?” The Marshall Fire is Colorado’s New Reality.
From The Colorado Sun, by Jason Blevins, Jesse Paul, and Kevin Simpson | January 2, 2022
The Marshall fire’s spread through a densely developed, urban environment made one thing clear: Very few parts of Colorado are completely safe from wildfire.
Officials: Nearly 1K Structures Destroyed in Colorado Fire
From AP News, by Brittany Peterson, Eugene Garcia | January 2, 2022
Nearly 1,000 homes and other structures were destroyed, hundreds more were damaged, and three people are missing after a wildfire charred numerous neighborhoods in a suburban area at the base of the Rocky Mountains
2021 North American Wildfire Season
From Center for Disaster Philanthropy | December 31, 2021
Overview of the impact, ongoing needs, and support generated from the 2021 North American wildfire season
Investigators Narrow Search for Origin of Colorado Wildfire
From AP News, by Thomas Peipert, Brittany Peterson | January 3, 2022
Investigators looking for the cause of the Colorado wildfire have narrowed their search to a sparsely populated neighborhood near Boulder where a passer-by captured video of a burning shed on the day the fire began
Snow and Ash: 'Miracle' No One Killed in Rare Winter Wildfire in Colorado
From Reuters, by Brad Brooks | December 31, 2021
Colorado officials report that, miraculously, no deaths were reported in a rare urban wildfire that moved at breakneck speeds across towns north of Denver, destroying upward of 1,000 homes
Colorado Wildfire: Three Feared Dead and Hundreds of Homes Destroyed as Biden Declares Disaster
From The Guardian, by Joanna Walters | January 1, 2022
Wind-stoked wildfire roared through two towns in Boulder county, Colorado, prompting thousands of evacuations and destroying nearly 1,000 homes, leaving three people missing
New Computer Program Rapidly Detects Homes, Buildings Damaged by California Wildfires
From Daily News, by McKenzie Prillaman | December 29, 2021
New computer program powered by artificial intelligence takes minutes to determine if structures have been damaged by fire before smoke clears
California City Facing Cuts in Fire Department
From Antelope Valley Press, by Allison Gatlin | December 31, 2021
Since City Council could not allow use of reserve funds, Fire Department will have to find $260,000 in cuts from its budget for the remaining six months of the fiscal year