A 23-year veteran Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter testified that his warnings were ignored when crews were ordered to leave the Lachman Fire on January 1, 2025 before it was fully extinguished, a mistake that would give rise to the Palisades Fire days later, which would go on to kill 12 people and destroy 8,000 homes in Pacific Palisades.

Firefighter felt ‘blown off’ after pointing out smoldering areas on Lachman Fire

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Dems want details on federal wildland fire service

Nearly a dozen Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday asked the Interior Secretary to halt creation of a consolidated federal wildland fire service, the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, which would result from the consolidation of all the Interior firefighting operations into a single unit, until he can explain how it improves on existing firefighting resources.

Dems want details on federal wildland fire service

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2025 brought record drought, wildfires and windstorms to the Mountain West, report finds

The annual climate summary from the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado Boulder reported that 2025 brought widespread drought, massive wildfires and destructive windstorms across several Mountain West states, underscoring how closely connected those disasters have become.

2025 brought record drought, wildfires and windstorms to the Mountain West, report finds

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U.S. Forest Service Stops Issuing Firefighter Pants That Contain PFAS, Following ProPublica’s Reporting

Following a ProPublica article revealing that the U.S. Forest Service had for years issued clothing to wildland firefighters that it knew contained potentially dangerous “forever chemicals,” the agency has stopped distributing those garments and will instruct its equipment manufacturers to avoid using PFAS in the future.

U.S. Forest Service Stops Issuing Firefighter Pants That Contain PFAS, Following ProPublica’s Reporting

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In the aftermath of Australia's Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20, few policy questions have proved as persistent as how, exactly, to live with fire on a warming continent, leading to an unlikely battleground: the thinning of native forests.

After logging bans, Australia turns to “forest thinning”. Does it reduce fire risk?

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Rising Simultaneous Fire Weather Threatens International Firefighting Efforts

A fire scientist at the University of California, Merced who is the co-author of a new study published in the journal Science Advances reported that the number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy - ideal to spark extreme wildfires - has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even more in the Americas.

Rising Simultaneous Fire Weather Threatens International Firefighting Efforts

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National Wildfire Alliance Calls for Immediate Wildfire Policy Reset

The National Wildfire Alliance's spokesperson announced that, as the early fire season gears up across 11 Western States, its priorities include advocating for sensible wildfire policy, including extinguishing all wildfires during fire season through aggressive initial attack, reducing fuels, salvaging dead trees, replanting burned forests, and protecting communities.

National Wildfire Alliance Calls for Immediate Wildfire Policy Reset

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Wildfires that burn buildings create significantly more air pollution

A research team led by the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Center for Atmospheric Research has published a new study in the journal Nature Communications which provides the first inventory of emissions from structure fires burned in wildfires in WUI areas, revealing that structure fires are a major source of air pollution.

Wildfires that burn buildings create significantly more air pollution

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Scientists, managers partner to reduce severe injuries to wildland firefighters

A multi-year study on wildland firefighter injuries published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire last June breaks down injuries by type, location, severity, and frequency across state and national forests.

Scientists, managers partner to reduce severe injuries to wildland firefighters

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Leadership announcement: Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management, Safety and Employee Wellbeing

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Schultz, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, announced that Sarah Fisher has been selected as the Forest Service’s deputy chief for Fire and Aviation Management, Safety and Employee Wellbeing.

Leadership announcement: Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management, Safety and Employee Wellbeing

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Goats tasked with clearing brush from rain before wildfire season in Verdugo Park

Following an abundance of rain this winter which has greened up Glendale's hillsides, California Grazing Company has turned their herd of goats loose in Verdugo Park to reduce the amount of wildfire fuel that has resulted.

Goats tasked with clearing brush from rain before wildfire season in Verdugo Park

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Judge clears way for mega lawsuit blaming LA and California for deadly Palisades Fire

A lawsuit alleging that the State of California and the City of Los Angeles failed to properly extinguish the Lachman Fire, which led to the Palisades Fire, causing 12 deaths and billions of dollars in damages, is being allowed to move forward, potentially costing the state and city tens of billions of dollars in damages, at a time when both are scrambling to close budget deficits.

Judge clears way for mega lawsuit blaming LA and California for deadly Palisades Fire

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How a new drone system can help fight forest fires and rescue POWs

Northern Arizona University unveiled Glasswing, an autonomous unoccupied aircraft system that can fly beneath forest canopies, to provide a flexible set of eyes in dense forest canopy, offering value to wildfire management in northern Arizona.

How a new drone system can help fight forest fires and rescue POWs

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US wildfires had mix of highs and lows nationwide in 2025, new report shows

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Hunter Bassler, a Journalist at the IAWF's Wildfire Today, reported that the National Interagency Fire Center's annual national wildfire report, which was released on Friday, shows just how abnormal 2025 was across the U.S., noting that far more wildfires burned far fewer acres than normal.

US wildfires had mix of highs and lows nationwide in 2025, new report shows

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The Global Elite Want To Save Us From Our "Wildfire Problem." Should We Let Them?

The Hotshot Wakeup delved into the details of the growing wildfire crisis across the globe, zeroing in on a white paper from the Davos World Economic Forum titled "From Wildfire Risk to Resilience: The Investment Case for Action."

The Global Elite Want To Save Us From Our "Wildfire Problem." Should We Let Them?

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Dry weather prompts wildfire concerns in much of West

A meteorologist based at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise warned that the West faces a long, active peak wildfire season this year, with dry conditions expected into February’s second week.

Dry weather prompts wildfire concerns in much of West

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Rep. Janelle Bynum’s bipartisan wildfire safety bill passes committee

The bipartisan Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act, which focuses on reducing collision risks from unauthorized drones flying through restricted airspace during active wildfires, has passed through committee without opposition.

Rep. Janelle Bynum’s bipartisan wildfire safety bill passes committee

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“Yes, the Gap Can Be Bridged"...USFS Chief, Tom Schultz

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Jim Petersen, Founder and President of the Evergreen Foundation, conducted a far-ranging, hour-long interview with Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Schultz, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, which chronicles his life leading up to becoming USFS Chief, and how forests can be managed to reduce wildfires.

“Yes, the Gap Can Be Bridged"...USFS Chief, Tom Schultz

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Mitigating Wildfire Impact on Water Quality through Climate-Based Financing: A Case Study of the Provo River Watershed

A new study published by the American Chemical Society demonstrates a method for modeling pre- and post-fire erosion, and connects the impacts to energy use and emissions associated with a downstream drinking water treatment plant, something of importance, considering that surface waters from forested watersheds supply over half of the drinking water to people across the U.S.

Mitigating Wildfire Impact on Water Quality through Climate-Based Financing: A Case Study of the Provo River Watershed

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