Wildfires

Think of the phrase 'The Wildfire Crisis.' What comes to mind? Is it walls of flame marching through pine forests, laying siege to mountain towns? Recent research highlights a different and under-appreciated risk: fast fires racing through dry grass and brush – threatening neighborhoods.

The idea of a linear fuel break, or LFB, is pretty straightforward: by clearing grass or other fuel along fire-prone roads, or planting fire-resistant vegetation, you can slow the spread of wildfire. New research suggests they may save more money than they cost to install and maintain.

Wildfire has numerous consequences for the West and, with many statehouses now in session, lawmakers across the region are trying to respond. Now there’s a new tool to track reform efforts.

When the conditions are right, land managers sometimes allow naturally ignited fires to burn. And new research shows that there can be significant ecological benefits when they do so.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has formally announced the establishment of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS), a development that came the same week that the U.S. Congress declined to fund it.

Idaho homeowners are seeing insurance premiums rise and policies canceled as fears of catastrophic urban wildfires grow, prompting bipartisan concern at the state capitol.

As Idahoans endure weeks of wildfire smoke each summer, a neurologist is warning that what we breathe doesn't just irritate our lungs — it may be harming our brains as well.

A new podcast is telling the story of a group of surfers who trained alongside firefighters and were put to the test when one of California's most destructive wildfires tore through Los Angeles County.

As many homeowners face a growing insurance crisis, state leaders across the region are considering reforms. Two groups have recommendations for them as state legislatures begin convening again.

Local elected officials across the region are worried that changes in federal policy are putting their communities at risk from wildfire. But public land agencies say some of the concerns are overstated.