Wildfires

As wildfire season picks up, some communities in the Mountain West are trying to reduce fire risks. That includes finding new ways to celebrate America’s independence.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced $103 million to bolster wildfire risk reduction efforts and address the health risks faced by wildland firefighters while visiting the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.

The smoke we often see in the summer months may seem more like a nuisance than a hazard, but there are risks associated with poor air quality. Idaho Matters sits down to find out what those risks are and how you can protect yourself.

Much more research has been done to evaluate wildfire mitigation strategies in forests.

People facing high wildfire risks are more likely to be white, live in pricier homes and have higher incomes. That’s according to new research published in Environmental Research Letters. It suggests that this wealthier group is more likely to face wildfire threats because many of them seek the beautiful views and amenities on the outskirts of bigger cities in the West.

Idaho Matters takes a look at the hazards of prescribed burns, as well as their importance.

A special group of aerial firefighters are likely to be very busy this summer. Idaho Matters sits down with reporter Madelyn Beck to find out why.

In Boise's Warm Springs Mesa neighborhood, a new alert system is the latest step in efforts to improve the community's response and communication in the event of a wildfire or other emergency, as the memory of the Table Rock fire is still fresh for most residents.

Federal wildland fire forecasters have issued their summer outlook with a series of maps, showing ominous splotches of red that indicate above-normal fire potential expanding over much of the Mountain West.

Through this effort, the Forest Service wants to reduce hazardous fuels and the risk of catastrophic wildfire to cities in southwest Idaho such as Boise, Garden Valley and McCall.