treesource

Forest Journalism for a Sustainable Future

The wicked paradox: Can Americans change their cultural relationship to fire?

by Leave a Comment

Thomas Fire, Ventura, CA, Los Padres NF, 2017
Firefighters watch the approach of the Thomas Fire in Ventura, California, Los Padres National Forest. Photo: U.S. Forest Service

Why talk about wildfires when much of the country is still reeling from the consequences of winter’s arctic blasts?

Because it’s a “wicked problem,” and is almost impossible to discuss in the midst of summer’s raging fires.

“Wicked problems” are defined as cultural or social problems that are difficult to solve for as many as four reasons: the significant economic burden, incomplete or contradictory knowledge, the number of people and opinions involved, and the interconnected nature of these problems with other issues.

Wildfires touch on all four of those reasons – all of which were highlighted during and after the Camp fire destroyed most of Paradise, California, as the Trump administration and California politicians traded insults in the media.

Is there a solution? Yes, but it takes work to find common ground, so it’s best to start the conversation before we’re facing eminent danger and short timelines.

[Read more…]

In a warming world, risk of ‘cascading’ natural disasters on the rise

by Leave a Comment

Thomas Fire, Ventura, CA, Los Padres NF, 2017
Firefighters watch the approach of last fall’s Thomas Fire in Ventura, California, Los Padres National Forest. Photo: U.S. Forest Service

In a warming world, the dangers from natural disasters are changing. In a recent commentary, we identified a number of costly and deadly catastrophes that point to an increase in the risk of “cascading” events – ones that intensify the impacts of natural hazards and turn them into disasters.

Multiple hazardous events are considered cascading when they act as a series of toppling dominoes, such as flooding and landslides that occur after rain over wildfires. Cascading events may begin in small areas but can intensify and spread to influence larger areas.

This rising risk means decision-makers, urban planners and risk analysts, civil engineers like us and other stakeholders need to invest more time and effort in tracking connections between natural hazards, including hurricanes, wildfires, extreme rainfall, snowmelt, debris flow, and drought, under a changing climate. [Read more…]

Spiraling wildland firefighting costs largely beyond Forest Service’s control

by Leave a Comment

A Tahoe Hotshot lights a burnout operation on the Ferguson fire, burning in and near Yosemite National Park. (inciweb.gov)

Just six months after the devastating Thomas Fire – the largest blaze in California’s history – was fully contained, the 2018 fire season is fully under way. As of mid-July, large wildfires had already burned over 1 million acres in a dozen states.

Through October, the National Interagency Fire Center predicts above-average wildfire activity in many regions, including the Northwest, Interior West and California.

Rising fire suppression costs over the past three decades have nearly destroyed the U.S. Forest Service’s budget. Overall funding for the agency, which does most federal firefighting, has been flat for decades, while fire suppression costs have grown dramatically.

Earlier this year Congress passed a “fire funding fix” that changes the way in which the federal government will pay for large fires during expensive fire seasons. This is vital for helping to restore the Forest Service budget. But the funding fix doesn’t affect the factors that drive costs, such as climate trends and more people living in fire prone landscapes.

[Read more…]

Western wildfires: Scientists know the answers, panelists say, but will citizens take action?

by 3 Comments

Many in the audience of nearly 200 Tuesday night remained after the discussion to engage with panelists and one another. Photo: Katy Spence/Treesource

Earth is a flammable planet. It’s been that way for 320 million years, since vegetation first took hold on the land.

“So fire is this natural phenomenon,” said Phil Higuera. “But when it interacts with humans, it is truly a disaster.”

Thus the eight experts on everything from insurance to incident command who gathered Tuesday night in Missoula to reflect on the 2017 wildfire season – and on how, after 320 million years, humans can learn to live with fire. [Read more…]

Diverse panelists to examine 2017 wildfire season at Tuesday, Oct. 24 event

by Leave a Comment

Neptune Aviation’s next-generation tanker fleet were among the aircraft employed to fight the recent wildfires in northern California. (Photo courtesy Jeremy Ulloa via Neptune Aviation Services Facebook page)

A diverse panel of nine professionals whose work involves wildfires and land management headline a Tuesday, Oct. 24 examination of this year’s wildfire season.

Sponsored by Treesource, the free public event will be held at the University of Montana’s University Center Theater. A pre-event reception is set for 6:30 p.m., with the panelists’ presentations beginning at 7 p.m.

The event will be streamed live via Treesource’s Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person. A video of the entire event also will be posted on the Treesource YouTube channel. [Read more…]