fire Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Across The West, Land Managers Face Hurdles In Fighting Fire With Fire

By NWPB News August 12, 2019

a sign for a prescribed burn in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Calif., remains posted two years after the fire. The prescribed burn, a low-intensity, closely managed fire, was intended to clear out undergrowth and protect the heart of Kings Canyon National Park from a future threatening wildfire. The tactic is considered one of the best ways to prevent the kind of catastrophic destruction that has become common, but its use falls woefully short of goals in the West. CREDIT: BRIAN MELLEY/AP

Prescribed fires are credited with making forests healthier and stopping or slowing the advance of some blazes. Despite those successes, there are plenty of reasons they are not set as often as officials would like, ranging from poor conditions to safely burn to bureaucratic snags and public opposition. Read More

Trouble In Paradise: Water Uncertainty Frustrates Victims Of California’s Devastating 2018 Wildfire

By NPR News August 2, 2019

A mobile home park destroyed by last year's wildfire in Paradise, California. Those rebuilding homes and lives say they're getting contradictory messages about whether the water is safe to drink. CREDIT: Meredith Rizzo/NPR

After the 2018 Camp Fire, scientists detected dangerous levels of cancer-causing benzenes from burned plastics in some water lines. Recent tests show the problem has not gone away. Chronic exposure to benzenes can heighten the risk of blood cancers such as leukemia. Read More

‘A Total Sense Of Belonging’: Northwest Tribes Lament Fire On Rattlesnake Mountain

By Anna King August 1, 2019

The Cold Creek Fire burned nearly 42,000 acres of sagebrush and grass land near Hanford in July -- including on Rattlesnake Mountain.

The fire that engulfed Notre Dame cathedral shocked the world earlier this year. And a wildfire in July on Rattlesnake Mountain in southeast Washington similarly shocked Northwest tribes. Continue Reading ‘A Total Sense Of Read More

Hey, That’s My Grass! Goats Chomp Fire Fuels Around Previously Burned Wenatchee Neighborhood

By Courtney Flatt July 28, 2019

These goats from a herding operation based in Ephrata were in Wenatchee in July to clean out fire fuels near Broadview neighborhood that burned in the 2015 Sleepy Hollow fire. CREDIT: COURTNEY FLATT/NWPB

A fire district around Wenatchee has come up with a new way to make wildland fires less severe. Chelan County Fire District 1 is ditching the hand tools and machinery that firefighters traditionally use to thin overgrown brush. Instead, they’re turning to a more natural approach to thin out fuels around the Broadview neighborhood that burned in the 2015 Sleepy Hollow Read More

Firefighters Address Central And Eastern Washington Fires After Lightning Storms

By Anna King July 25, 2019

Smoke seen from a small fire burning in brush and wheat near Washtucna, Washington on Thursday, July 25, 2019. CREDIT: ANNA KING/N3

It’s been a relatively quiet summer so far for Northwest wildland firefighters. But after a couple days of lightning storms in eastern and central Washington, paired with dry and windy conditions, more fires are starting to flare up. Read More

Central Washington Fire District Will Use Goats To Reduce Fire Risk Around Wenatchee

By Courtney Flatt June 19, 2019

File photo. Briana Murphy's goats can clear 150 pounds of foliage a day. CREDIT: Jule Gilfillan/OPB

Four years ago, the Sleepy Hollow Fire burned to the edge of Wenatchee. Flames rushed through, consuming brush and cheatgrass and quickly destroying 28 homes and three businesses. Now, with the help of a federal grant, firefighters are getting rid of some of those grasses to better protect homes. Read More

Notre Dame Celebrates 1st Mass Since Fire Devastated The Historic Paris Cathedral

By NPR News June 17, 2019

A small group in hard hats gathered on Saturday for Mass in Paris' Notre Dame cathedral. It was the first Mass since a fire devastated the church in April. Karine Perret/AFP/Getty Images

A group of around 30 people wearing hardhats gathered for Mass in the cathedral on Saturday, exactly two months after a severe fire. The service was not open to the public. Continue Reading Notre Dame Celebrates 1st Mass Since Read More

Big Spring Growth Could Make For Big Fire Season At Hanford And Across The West

By Anna King May 29, 2019

Hanford fire crews burn built-up brush along a roadway in preparation for a more-challenging-than-usual fire season.

At the Hanford Nuclear Site in southeastern Washington, and across the West, winter’s deep snow and a cool spring have produced lots of brush and grass. That’s a problem for the coming fire season. Continue Reading Big Spring Read More

Rethinking Disaster Recovery After 2018 Wildfire Devastated Paradise

By NPR News May 28, 2019

The 2018 Camp Fire destroyed 90% of the town of Paradise, Calif., and killed 85 people. Should the federal government jump in to rebuild communities at high risk of future disasters? Continue Reading Rethinking Disaster Recovery After 2018 Read More

Mushroom Hunters, Rejoice: Springtime Crop Benefits From Summertime Fires

By Courtney Flatt April 28, 2019

Spring coral and morel mushrooms. Courtesy of Rachel Zoller

Springtime means it’s morel mushroom harvesting season. Depending on where fires burned last summer, mushroom collecting could take you to different spots across the Northwest. Continue Reading Mushroom Hunters, Rejoice: Springtime Crop Read More

LIVE: Local Catholics See Hope After Notre Dame Fire

By Murrow News - Nathan Senff April 20, 2019

Holy Week for Catholics is the week leading up to Easter Sunday creating a time of reflection and prayer, but that was interrupted abruptly when a Catholic symbol, Notre Dame Cathedral, was engulfed in flames. Local Catholics see this as a way to reunite the faith around the world and as a time to help the people of France a half a world away. Read More

Crisis Builds In Chico In Aftermath Of Camp Fire That Devastated Paradise And Butte County

By NPR News January 14, 2019

After the November 2018 Camp Fire, thousands of people whose homes were destroyed were forced to seek refuge in nearby Chico, Calif. Some 700 people, some in their RVs, are still living at a Red Cross shelter at the Chico fairgrounds. The shelter is expected to close at the end of January. Kirk Siegler/NPR

More than two months after the Camp Fire, the small city of Chico, Calif. is struggling to handle an influx of an estimated 20,000 new people from neighboring Paradise. Continue Reading Crisis Builds In Chico In Read More

Shutdown Hampers Wildfire Preparedness And Training In The West And Across The Country

By NPR News January 12, 2019

Firefighters and forest managers are losing valuable time to prepare for the upcoming wildland fire season as the partial government shutdown continues. Continue Reading Shutdown Hampers Wildfire Preparedness And Training Read More

Cinder, Inspirational Bear Damaged And Healed After 2014 Carlton Fire, Found Dead Near Leavenworth

By NWPB News December 13, 2018

After the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire, Cinder spent nearly a year recovering before being released back into the Washington Cascades north of Leavenworth. CREDIT: LAKE TAHOE WILDLIFE CARE

A young black bear that was badly burned in the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire in north-central Washington and later became an international inspiration, has died. Officials with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife say Cinder the bear was killed by a hunter in fall 2017 but have just this year discovered remains and determined it was Cinder. Read More

Arson And Hate Crime Suspected In Latest Attack On Jehovah’s Witnesses Near Olympia

By Tom Banse December 7, 2018

A highly suspicious early morning fire on Dec. 7, 2018 destroyed the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lacey, Washington. TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

A suspicious fire early Friday morning destroyed the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lacey, Washington. If confirmed as arson, this would be the sixth attack on the faith in Thurston County this year. Continue Reading Read More

Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get Worse

By Cassandra Profita November 28, 2018

The Eagle Creek Fire as seen from the Cascade Locks Hatchery. To keep hatchery fall chinook from dying because of the fire, Oregon officials released them early. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Northwest is already seeing the effects of climate change, according to a new national climate assessment. Continue Reading Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get WorseRead More

California Fire Evacuees To Spend Thanksgiving Without Homes, As Restaurants Step In To Help

By NPR News November 21, 2018

A holiday mug is seen among the wreckage of what was once someone's kitchen in Paradise, Calif. CREDIT: Elise Hu/NPR

Both those homes burned to the ground in the historic Camp Fire. The scale of the fire's destruction is so spread out that very little of the towns of Paradise, Magalia and Concow remain. So far, the fire scorched 230 square miles — an area the size of Chicago. So many evacuees have fled to nearby Chico, prompting local businesses to try and give them a place to exhale. Read More

Serving Time, Dodging Tumbling Boulders, And Fighting Wildfires For $2 A Day

By NPR News November 18, 2018

Inmate firefighters battle a California wildfire in July. Qualified inmates can volunteer to be trained in firefighting; in exchange, they are paid $2 a day and an extra $1 per hour when fighting fires. The inmate firefighters also receive sentence reductions. CREDIT: Noah Berger/AFP/Getty Images

As flames consume parts of California, an unexpected group of firefighters has put their lives at risk to protect communities: prison inmates. For $2 per day — and another $1 an hour when battling fires — qualified inmates can volunteer to help authorities combat fires. Read More

Betsy Devos Proposes New Education Dept. Rules To Protect Students Accused Of Sexual Assault

By Scott Leadingham November 16, 2018

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks with the media after a series of listening sessions about campus sexual violence in July 2017. Among the significant changes is that schools can make it harder to prove allegations. Alex Brandon/AP

Among the significant changes is that schools could make it harder to prove allegations. Instead of only a "preponderance of the evidence," schools could demand "clear and convincing evidence." Continue Reading Betsy Read More

California Camp Fire: Confirmed Deaths Above 70 As Missing List Balloons Over 1,000

By NPR News November 15, 2018

A fire truck drives through an area burned by the Camp Fire in Paradise on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2018. CREDIT: John Locher/AP

Authorities say at least 63 people died in the Northern California wildfire known as the Camp Fire, which has burned through at least 218 square miles of land and consumed the town of Paradise. Seven sets of remains were discovered on Thursday. Read More

A Personal And Harrowing Account Of How The Camp Fire Devastated Paradise

By NWPB News November 14, 2018

The burned remains of Paradise Elementary School is seen Friday, in Paradise, Calif. Authorities say a wildfire has all but destroyed the Northern California town. CREDIT: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

The Camp Fire tore through Paradise, Calif., the morning of Nov. 8, 2018. Paul Weingartner, a nurse at the Adventist Health Feather River hospital in Paradise, recounts how it unfolded, and how he narrowly escaped, to return to the hospital and treat patients. Read More

Paradise Lost: Northern California Town Destroyed By Fire, At Least 29 Dead, 6,000+ Structures Burned

By NPR News November 10, 2018

A home burns as the Camp Fire moves through the area on Thursday in Paradise, Calif. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire has ripped through the town of Paradise. CREDIT: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The entire town of 27,000 people was evacuated in front of the wildfire in Northern California. The fire is the latest in a string of disastrous wildfires to hit the state in the past year. Continue Reading Paradise Lost: Northern Read More

To Save Money And Resources, Replanting Trees After Wildfires May Not Be Necessary

By Jes Burns November 9, 2018

The Chetco Bar Fire remained relatively quiet for its first month before exploding into Oregon's largest wildfire. Courtesy of Chetco Bar Fire incident command team

After wildfire season ends each year, land managers start planning what comes next for the areas that burned. Often, the strategy used to ensure the forests return is to salvage log and then replant. But a recent study suggests that in some areas, it might be just as effective to leave the forest alone. Read More

Why Many Northwest Animals And Plants Need Wildfire

By Aaron Scott October 8, 2018

Not all wildfire is a force of destruction. Many of our favorite Northwest plants and animals have evolved to depend on it. Continue Reading Why Many Northwest Animals And Plants Need WildfireRead More

It’s The Water … That Helped Extinguish Flames At Old Olympia Brewery In Tumwater

By Austin Jenkins October 8, 2018

Tumwater firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire at the old Olympia Brewery complex Monday, Oct. 8. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Fire consumed an abandoned building in the Olympia Brewery Complex in Tumwater early Monday, Oct. 8. The Olympia beer name is now owned by Pabst Brewing Company and brewed under contract by MillerCoors in California, but still distributed widely throughout the Northwest. Read More

Agencies Downgrade Preparedness And Burn Bans, But Northwest Wildfire Risk Persists

By Emily Schwing October 3, 2018

Washington fire managers responded to nearly 70 new fire starts August 11, 2018, including the Grass Valley Fire that threatened the Grand Coulee Dam area and forced hundreds of evacuations. CREDIT: INCIWEB

State and federal agencies throughout the Northwest are starting to lift burn restrictions on some lands. The Wildfire Preparedness level for the region was downgraded to its lowest stage -- Level 1 -- this week. But the region is below normal for precipitation and has been so for the past two months. Read More

For Many In The West, Year-Round Fire Season Means Always Living ‘Evacuation Ready’

By NPR News September 25, 2018

Rod Thompson lives in Ojai, Calif., where the Thomas Fire last December charred 440 square miles. CREDIT: STEPHANIE O'NEILL FOR NPR

More people are living in places that are prone to wildfires. That means during fire season, they live with the very real possibility of having to evacuate on very short notice. Continue Reading For Many In The West, Year-Round Read More

In Washington’s Methow Valley, Fire Means Danger, Loss, Smoke And Big Job Prospects

By Courtney Flatt September 19, 2018

Wildfire represents both risk and reward for some small communities in Washington. Walking the line between a "good fire" and a "bad fire" can be tricky. Continue Reading In Washington’s Methow Valley, Fire Means Danger, Loss, Read More

Study: Fire-Filled Future Could Lead To More Smoke-Related Deaths

By NWPB News September 14, 2018

Pedestrians walk off the Bridge of the Gods, which spans the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon, as smoke from the Eagle Creek Fire obscures the Oregon hills in the background near Stevenson, Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. CREDIT: RANDY L. RASMUSSUN/AP

Deaths related to air pollution from wildfires could double by the end of the century, according to newly published research into the links between climate change, wildfires and human health. Continue Reading Study: Fire-Filled Future Could Read More

Fighting Wildfire Is Risky. But It’s Become Riskier Than It Needs To Be

By Tony Schick September 11, 2018

A line of wildland firefighters marches through the woods during the Yellowstone fires of 1988. The massive complex of fires, which burned more than 790,000 acres, was a transformative moment in the country's view of wildfire. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Federal and state agencies have come to realize fires should not be fought at all costs and, in fact, many should not be fought at all. Excluding natural fire led to forests burning in bigger, more destructive ways. Each year, hazardous fuels accumulate faster than we can reduce them through selective logging and burning. Read More

No, Hunters Did Not Open Fire On Australian Firefighters In Washington Near White Pass

By Emily Schwing September 11, 2018

The Miriam Fire has been burning around Washington's White Pass since late July 2018. The Yakima County Sheriff's Office says Australian firefighters were not intentionally targeted and shot at by hunters in the area. CREDIT: JUSTIN GELB/INCIWEB

An Australian newspaper is reporting that hunters shot at two firefighters from down under while they were battling the Miriam Fire near White Pass, Washington. But law enforcement has debunked the claim. Continue Reading Read More

Will More Logging Save Western Forests From Wildfires?

By NPR News August 29, 2018

The 2018 Carr Fire destroyed more than a thousand homes, largely on the western edge of Redding, Calif. CREDIT: KIRK SIEGLER/NPR

The Trump Administration has called for more logging of western forests to reduce wildfire risks. But people on the ground in the west say the solution is thinning and forest restoration, not logging. Continue Reading Will More Logging Save Western Read More

As Wildfires Burn, Smoke Chokes Out Northwest Farmworkers And Delays Some Crops

By Anna King August 29, 2018

Workers in dust masks wash fresh red bell peppers in smoky conditions outside of Eltopia, Wash. Even with the masks, the smoke is still causing tight chests, itchy eyes and dry throats. CREDIT: ANNA KING/N3

Smoke from wildfires is blanketing much of the West. That's ruining some crops and may be stunting others. And it's making it difficult or unsafe for laborers to pick the harvest. Continue Reading As Wildfires Burn, Smoke Chokes Read More

How To Prepare Your Home For Wildfire

By NWPB News August 17, 2018

A burned cabin that was destroyed in Washington’s 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire. Creative Commons licensed by Adam Cohn

The U.S. has more than 46 million homes in this wildfire danger zone and more people moving in right when climate change is making for longer, hotter and drier wildfire seasons.Here are a few steps you can take to protect your home from wildfire. Continue Reading How Read More

Four Years After Carlton Complex Devastated Okanogan County, What Have We Learned?

By Ashley Ahearn August 17, 2018

In this July 24, 2014, the remains of structures that were destroyed by wildfires near Pateros, Wash. The Carlton Complex fire was the largest in Washington State history. CREDIT: AP IMAGES/TED S. WARREN

For people living in the “wildland-urban interface,” wildfire risk is the new normal, and the risk is increasing as more people move into places where cul-de-sac meets forest or sagebrush. Continue Reading Four Read More

Firefighting Airplane Crashes In Washington’s Colville National Forest, ‘But The Pilot’s OK’

By Emily Schwing August 14, 2018

The Air Tractor 802, known as an Air Boss, went down Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 while on the Horns Mountain Fire in northeastern Washington. CREDIT: INCIWEB

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, a water-scooping airplane crashed while working the Horns Mountain Fire in northeastern Washington. The pilot walked away with minor injuries. Continue Reading Firefighting Airplane Crashes In Read More

Fires In Canada And California Add To Northwest’s Smoky Haze

By Emily Schwing August 14, 2018

Fires across the region have blanketed the Northwest in smoke. Blazes in California and British Columbia are also adding to the thick, reddish-gray haze. Continue Reading Fires In Canada And California Add To Northwest’s Smoky HazeRead More

Breathing Wildfire Smoke Every Summer Could Have Long-Term Health Consequences

By Courtney Flatt August 14, 2018

The smoke of the Taylor Creek Fire still plumes behind the Joint Information Center, just outside of Grants Pass, OR. CREDIT: USFS/DARREN STEBBINS

Air quality east of the Cascade Mountains has deteriorated as wildfires burn across Washington and Oregon. In Southern Oregon, the air is hazardous. In Central Washington, air quality is unhealthy for everyone. Continue Reading Breathing Read More

‘It Was Quite A Shock.’ Wild Weekend As Northwest Fires Claim Homes, Injure Firefighter

By Emily Schwing August 12, 2018

It was a wild weekend for wildfire in the Northwest. A cold front brought lightning and high winds -- but no rain -- to the region east of the Cascades already plagued by extremely dry conditions. Continue Reading ‘It Was Read More

High Temps Across The Northwest Could Break Records, Add To Wildfire Concern

By Emily Schwing August 7, 2018

Firefighters from a Washington state Department of Natural Resources crew took this photo of the Boylston Fire Thursday, July 19, 2018.

Weather predictions across the West are calling for excessive heat and more dry weather this week. That forecast is anything but good news in the Northwest, where significant risk of wildfire continues to increase. Continue Reading Read More

When It Comes To Wildfire, Politics Lag Behind Science

By Cassandra Profita August 6, 2018

In this May 23, 2017 photo provided by Chelan County Fire District 3, logs burn near Leavenworth, Wash. The wildfire prompted evacuation orders for homes and cabins at a popular Washington state hiking and skiing destination. CREDIT: BEN TORKELSON

A variety of forest experts say that one of the best ways to reduce the threat of these mega-blazes is to use fire itself. They say we need to increase the pace of prescribed fire and let some wildfires continue to burn when it’s safe to do so.Of course, there’s not nearly as much political support for letting fires burn as there is for putting fires out. Read More

Resources Stretched Thin As Northwest Fire Season Intensifies; Pacific Crest Trail Closed In Places

By Emily Schwing August 1, 2018

The Ryegrass Coulee Fire began late Monday, July 9 and quickly spread between Ellensburg and Vantage, closing Interstate 90. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE DOT

Fire officials say this year is on par with 2014 and 2015 – two of the worst seasons on record in the Northwest. Things are ramping up nearly a month earlier than previous years, and resources are stretched thin. Continue Reading Resources Read More

Wildfire Risk Prompts State Of Emergency Declaration For Washington

By Emily Schwing July 31, 2018

A helicopter uses a bucket to drop water on the Milepost 22 wildfire, Thursday, June 21, 2018, near Vantage, Wash. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/TED S. WARREN

The National Guard is gearing up to help fight wildfire in central and eastern Washington, and Governor Jay Inslee has declared a state-wide emergency. Continue Reading Wildfire Risk Prompts State Of Emergency Declaration For WashingtonRead More

Forest Service Chief Talks Need For New Fire Management, Fuel Treatments

By Tony Schick July 31, 2018

The West is in the midst of another intense fire season. Fires in California and Oregon have claimed lives and homes and burned up farmland. As part of EarthFix’s ongoing series on wildfire, reporter Tony Schick spoke with interim Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen about what her agency is doing to reform fire management and reverse the fire problem. Read More