fire

Seven inmates injured while mopping up a wildfire near Laughlin, Nevada, in 2021 sued the state for injuries sustained in the effort, claiming they were forced to keep working even after reporting they were hurt.

The bill would allow charges to be filed against people who interfere with fire suppression methods by operating drones in the area of an active fire.

The 2002 drought was a massive catalyst for pests, including the spruce beetle, which in Colorado impacted 1.89 million acres statewide over two decades.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend nearly $500 million on projects to reduce wildfire risk in 11 areas in Western states, the department said Thursday.

In court documents, the government alleged that between 2013 and 2021, more than 40 suspected arson fires were set on state and federal land in Mineral County.

Roos and a team of researchers studied nearly 5,000 fire-scarred trees in Arizona and New Mexico, in areas inhabited by the Apache, Navajo and Jemez tribes over the course of 400 years, between roughly 1500 and 1900.

The 2022 wildfire season in Oregon has been among the mildest in the last decade, with human-caused fires down nearly 20% from the 10-year average, according to state data.

After New Mexico’s deadly wildfire season this summer, both northern and southern New Mexico are dealing with flooding off of burn scars on a daily to weekly basis, and rainflow can push ash, sediment and other contaminants into waters.

Nevada is set to receive nearly $6 million in funding to prevent wildfires, a growing concern, as climate change and prolonged drought make the state even drier.

Several large fires are burning in Idaho, including the Moose Fire burning north of Salmon, the Four Corners Fire burning in the Payette and Boise national forests outside of Cascade and the Ross Creek Fire burning in the Sawtooth National Forest south of Alturas Lake.