fires Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

In Dry Eastern Washington, Scientists Look To Rangeland Management To Address Catastrophic Fires

By Courtney Flatt November 6, 2020

In one experimental plot, many of the sagebrush in this Moses Coulee area of central Washington were burned to a crisp during the September 2020 Pearl Hill Fire. It can take decades for sagebrush to fully recover after an extremely intense wildfire. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

As Washington works to combat climate change, can rangelands be better managed to make wildfires less catastrophic? What are the most effective solutions to remove invasive grasses, like cheatgrass, which dries out quickly, burns extremely hot and helps fires jump from bunchgrass to bunchgrass? Read More

‘Everything’s Gone’: Residents In Malden Sift Through The Ashes One Month After Devastating Fire

By NPR News October 9, 2020

James Jacobs lost his home to the fire that destroyed much of Malden and Pine City on Labor Day 2020. And like many others, didn't have insurance. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

Malden is a tiny farming town amidst eastern Washington's "oceans of wheat fields" in Whitman County. Or it was. The 2020 wildfire season is a grim reminder that disasters unfairly hit the poor and the elderly. Thousands of people on the West Coast still lack even temporary housing. Read More

Washington Firefighter Quarantining With COVID; It’s A Test Of Safety Plan Ahead Of Wildfire Weather

By Courtney Flatt August 10, 2020

Thinning, mowing and prescribed fire are used in Ponderosa pine forests to maintain an open forest floor. CREDIT: Jes Burns/OPB/EarthFix

The firefighter contracted COVID-19 outside of the fire camp. He tested positive after he left the fire. The firefighter came into contact with 14 others, who have now been quarantined and aren’t showing symptoms right now, according to the DNR. This year, fire camps have been kept smaller and more spaced out – to help prevent widespread outbreaks. Read More

Do Thinning And Prescribed Burns Help? New Study Following 2014 Carlton Complex Fire Says Yes

By Courtney Flatt March 3, 2020

File photo. An area burned in the Carlton Complex fire, as seen in 2019, along Highway 20 near Loup Loup Ski Bowl, east of Twisp, Washington. CREDIT: Megan Farmer/KUOW

Researchers began their detective work, trying to figure out what happened to these treated areas during the first few extreme days of the Carlton Complex fire. They gathered geospatial maps and satellite images. Continue Read More

Analysis: Big Fall Wildfires Signal Arrival Of A Planetary Fire Age

By PBS Newshour November 2, 2019

A home burns as the November 2018 Camp Fire moved through Paradise, Calif. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading fire killed 85 people and burned nearly 19,000 building in Butte County, making it the state’s deadliest and most destructive fire in modern times. CREDIT: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Free-burning fire is the proximate provocation for the havoc, since its ember storms are engulfing landscapes. But in the hands of humans, combustion is also the deeper cause. Continue Reading Analysis: Big Fall Wildfires Signal Arrival Of A Read More

In Dry Eastern Washington, Scientists Look To Rangeland Management To Address Catastrophic Fires

‘Everything’s Gone’: Residents In Malden Sift Through The Ashes One Month After Devastating Fire

Washington Firefighter Quarantining With COVID; It’s A Test Of Safety Plan Ahead Of Wildfire Weather

Do Thinning And Prescribed Burns Help? New Study Following 2014 Carlton Complex Fire Says Yes

Analysis: Big Fall Wildfires Signal Arrival Of A Planetary Fire Age

Tens Of Thousands Of Fires Ravage Brazilian Amazon, Where Deforestation Has Spiked

‘Reimagining Paradise’ — Making Plans To Rebuild A Town Destroyed By Wildfire

‘Historic’ Wildfire Funding Request Goes To Washington Legislature

Efforts To Reduce Wildfire Risk Fall Short, Buck Science

July In The Northwest: Warm Summer Nights And Big Fire Potential

UPDATES: I-90 Back Open At Vantage After Fast-Moving Fire Forces Evacuations