wildfire

More than 80% of the wildfires that the Idaho Department of Lands has responded to this year have been caused by humans, Director Dustin Miller told an interim committee of Idaho legislators Tuesday.

Across the state, 649 primary residences were destroyed, mostly in Spokane County, according to the governor’s office.

Tribal leaders across Washington and Oregon told Stateline that this year’s record-breaking wildfires burned timber that they rely on for income, threatened food sources and waterways, and harmed the health of their communities.

George Christensen writes, "Scrapping the Roadless Rule could have real consequences for our fall outdoor adventures, but also for our drinking water, the wildlife that defines the West, and our efforts to prevent wildfires caused by people."

Consumer advocates worry that unchecked wildfire spending will drive up electricity rates across the West.

Advocates for wildland firefighters point out that this year’s dangerous season is intensified by heat and drought making fires faster and harder to contain.

Chase Woodruff (Colorado Newsline) High on a ridgeline near the headwaters of the Yampa River, a ditch dug more than a century ago snakes for miles through the rugged terrain of the Routt National Forest, shepherding water from the Yamcolo Reservoir across a 9,000-foot-high mesa to an area south of the town of Yampa, in southern Routt County...

City and fire officials on Wednesday lifted Stage II fire restrictions in Missoula, citing a number of factors ranging from weather to staffing.

Idaho Department of Land officials say it’s unclear what final bill will be until cost sharing is determined with federal agencies.

Montana and the West are experiencing more wildfires and larger blazes than in decades past including in more urban and suburban areas.