Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com. A revived bipartisan measure in the House of Representatives’ farm bill claims it’ll save California’s giant sequoias from worsening wildfires. The Save Our Sequoias Act, heralded by former Rep. Kevin McCarthy before […]
Firefighters drop water and build fire line Monday where the Blue 2 Fire is burning in the Lincoln National Forest, about 8 miles north of Ruidoso. (Photo Courtesy US Forest Service) Two lightning-caused wildfires in northern and southern New Mexico have grown to a combined 20 square miles, according to the latest figures from firefighting […]
PEORIA, Ariz. – Wildfire season in the Valley is starting to pick up steam. Kurt Walker, Battalion Chief for Peoria Fire and Medical says that this season is comparable to two years ago when there was more precipitation in the colder months. Off season precipitation allows more brush and wildfire fuel to grow and create […]
Wildfires in Arizona are burning hotter, faster and more often, in part due to a selection of invasive plant species taking over the desert environment, according to a report by nature experts. The study published in May described a grass-fire cycle that has caused sparse desert landscapes to turn into sprawling grassland that fills the […]
May 22—COLUMBIA BASIN — Perhaps due to the cool, wet weather, wildfires were nowhere to be found Wednesday in the Columbia Basin. In Kittitas County, the Pumphouse Fire, which had been discovered Monday near Ryegrass Summit on Interstate 90, was controlled at 3 acres. A few prescribed fires continued to burn in Stevens and Ferry […]
A spaceborne view of the Gulf, it looks hazy beneath smoke. Hundreds of wildfires have been blazing across Canada and Mexico since last week, and new satellite images released by NASA show the smoke pouring out of some. Firefighters have been battling this army of wildfires, which are scattered across various Canadian provinces, including over […]
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso County is currently under extreme drought conditions, that’s according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The National Weather Service (NWS) says the dry heat, low humidity and gusty winds all factor together to produce fire dangers. “The El Paso area is currently in a D3 or an extreme drought […]
May 17—As fire season looms, the U.S. Forest Service is amping up its readiness with major improvements for air tankers that take the battle to wildfires, dropping fire retardant on the blazes below. Kirtland Air Force Base and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service unveiled upgrades on Friday to the Albuquerque Air Tanker Base […]
Colossal wildfires burning across Canada over the last week have driven thousands of people to evacuate with their kids, pets and precious belongings in tow – many uncertain when they may be able to return home. Firefighters battling more than 100 blazes across the country could see temporary relief in some regions as a large […]
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It was a very close call for businesses next to Yokuts Park when a wildfire broke out nearby on Tuesday. Some employees had to move their cars so they wouldn’t catch on fire. “A couple of patients came in right away and told us that there was fire next door,” said […]
Thousands of people in western Canada are facing the wrath of wildfires this week amid severe drought. Some six thousand people were told to evacuate Fort McMurray, Alberta, where 90,000 residents were forced to flee during the 2016 wildfires. More than 3,000 others were ordered to leave Fort Nelson, British Columbia, where a fire is […]
(COLORADO SPRINGS)– It is wildfire season and the Colorado Springs Fire Department and community leaders are hosting town hall meetings to help people prepare. Colorado’s dry atmosphere makes the Pikes Peak region more prone to wildfires, which is why on Tuesday community members learned about wildfire threats and how to prepare their homes, get emergency […]