The 2026 fire season is on pace to be biggest in a decade

National Interagency Fire Center officials announced that, as of this week, there have already been more wildfires across the U.S., burning more square miles, than at this same point during the last 10 years - a total of about 13,200 square miles having gone up in smoke so far this year.

The 2026 fire season is on pace to be biggest in a decade

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In the West: A Wildland Firefighter’s Perspective

A former Hotshot recalled the night California’s Cedar Fire breached containment, commenting on how the Fix Our Forests Act could speed up active forest management and work to reduce fuel loading around communities, while building fire resiliency into the landscape, to prevent more such blazes.

In the West: A Wildland Firefighter’s Perspective

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With or without roads, US forests burn at a similar rate, researchers claim

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Hunter Bassler, a Journalist at the IAWF's Wildfire Today, delved into the thorny topic of repeal of the Roadless Rule, citing an Oregon State University study in which over 40 years of wildfire data across 11 western U.S. states showed that national forest areas classified as “roadless” didn’t burn more than national forest land with roads.

With or without roads, US forests burn at a similar rate, researchers claim

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The U.S. Is Having One of Its Most Active Wildfire Seasons. Here’s How the Costs Are Adding Up

Time Magazine delved into the details of just how much wildfires which have burned more than 8.4 million acres this season have cost to suppress, racking up 70% of the $6 billion fiscal 2026 fire-suppression budget.

The U.S. Is Having One of Its Most Active Wildfire Seasons. Here’s How the Costs Are Adding Up

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“The System Is Broken.” Frustrations Inside The Forest Service Boil Over As Fire Supervisors Express Fundamental Concerns.

The Hotshot Wake Up podcast focused on the frustrations which have boiled over within the U.S. Forest Service, where fire supervisors are voicing concerns about agency direction, poor facilities, experienced firefighters leaving the ranks, and infighting with line officers.

“The System Is Broken.” Frustrations Inside The Forest Service Boil Over As Fire Supervisors Express Fundamental Concerns.

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National Fire News

The National Interagency Fire Center reported that 69 new wildfires ignited nationwide yesterday, including four new large fires, as 13,193 firefighters continued to battle 58 large fires in a year in which 53,940 fires have burned more than 8.4 million acres.

National Fire News

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Firefighter deaths afflict surviving colleagues, research finds

A sociologist and firefighter, who is an instructional associate in the CU Boulder Arts and Sciences Residential Academic Programs, conducted in-depth interviews with 37 firefighters across the American West, documenting trauma, grief, survivor guilt, anxiety, hypervigilance and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts among firefighters who experienced the deaths of colleagues.

Firefighter deaths afflict surviving colleagues, research finds

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