Wildland Fire Blog

Creating conversations across the wildland fire community. Contact us to suggest a topic.

A dispatcher at the Boise Interagency Dispatch Center tracks wildfires and firefighting resources in southwestern Idaho. Photo by Neal Herbert, Department of the Interior.

Welcome to FireNet, Where Wildland Fire Agencies Collaborate

07/20/2022

With tens of thousands of wildland firefighting agencies spread throughout the U.S., achieving seamless information sharing and communication has historically been complex. FireNet provides a shared, secure single point of access to facilitate national wildland fire management across personnel from diverse organizations, regardless of affiliation.

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Wood shake or shingle roofs can increase risk from wildfires. Photo by Pantira through Adobe Stock.

In the News: Wood Roofs are a $6 Billion Wildfire Problem (headwaterseconomics.org)

07/18/2022

Millions of Americans living in wildfire-prone areas have homes that are not constructed with wildfire in mind. Roofs are highly vulnerable to wildfire due to their large surface area and potential for embers to accumulate. Understanding how many vulnerable roofs exist in wildfire-prone areas can illuminate the scale and cost of home retrofits needed to help communities adapt to wildfires.

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A firefighter works on a prescribed fire at sunset in southern Florida. Photo by NPS.

A New Study Gives Federal Wildland Firefighters an Opportunity to Inform the Development of Health and Wellbeing Programs

07/14/2022

This summer, federal wildland firefighters with the Interior and Agriculture departments are invited to participate in a rigorous scientific study of firefighter health and wellbeing, including occupational hazards and mental health impacts. This study by the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and UC Berkley will enable wildland fire agencies to hear directly from the firefighters impacted by the growing demands of more frequent, severe wildland fires.

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Aravaipa Veterans Interagency Hotshot Crew member contemplates a partially burned forest during the 2021 Caldor Fire. Photo by Joe Bradshaw, BLM.

Investing in More Robust Mental Health Support for Wildland Firefighters

06/30/2022

Wildland firefighters work in arduous, stressful environments that can take a significant toll on mental health. With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Interior and Agriculture departments have begun work to establish a program to recognize and address the mental health needs for federal wildland firefighters.

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Greater sage-grouse in a field at dawn. Photo by Steve Fairbairn, USFWS.

A Project to Improve Sage-grouse Habitat in Idaho is also Reducing Wildfire Risk

06/23/2022

A robust collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies in Idaho is working toward shared conservation stewardship of sagebrush habitat on 1.67 million acres. This project is not only creating a more resilient landscape, promoting plant diversity, and benefiting species like sage-grouse, it is also reducing the risk of severe wildfires. And the work is accelerating with additional funding provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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