Category: Fire Truth

September 20, 2020 — By Guest Columnist Tom Spies — Spies is an emeritus scientist with the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station. He lives in Corvallis. The devastating wildfires in western Oregon have caused tragic losses … More

October 2, 2019 — The latest statistics from the National Interagency Fire Center show that 2019 has seen a decrease in the total amount of wildfire activity across the United States compared to the past decade. As of … More

January 31, 2019 — The 2013 Rim Fire burned more than 250,000 acres in Yosemite National Park and the adjacent Stanislaus National Forest, making it the largest fire ever recorded in the Sierra Nevada. It also burned much … More

January 10, 2019 — You’ve probably already seen yesterday’s tweet from President Trump regarding FEMA funding for victims of California’s wildfires. But just in case, here is the original transcript: “Billions of dollars are sent to the State … More

December 14, 2017 — What happens if forest fire ignitions are not suppressed? It’s a tough experiment to perform, but some old Forest Service data may help provide an answer. In 1923, the Forest Service published an analysis … More

October 30, 2017 — A pitched battle is underway over how to interpret this summer’s wildfires on federal lands, which wafted thick layers of smoke into urbanized areas around the West. How that battle ends will have serious … More

October 20, 2017 — This has been a notable year for wildfires, with smoke clogging urban areas of the West and the federal government spending well over $2 billion trying to stop the flames. Homes—and lives—have been lost. … More

October 10, 2017 — On September 26, federal firefighting managers boarded a helicopter and embarked on a flyover of the Chetco Bar Fire in southwestern Oregon, which at one point this summer was considered the top-priority wildfire in … More