Senate Unanimously Passes Padilla Bill to Help Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires, Increase Use of Prescribed Fire

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA) of 2026, a bipartisan bill to make it easier for states and communities to use prescribed fire to reduce hazardous fuel and prevent catastrophic wildfires.

Senate Unanimously Passes Padilla Bill to Help Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires, Increase Use of Prescribed Fire

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A growing coalition wants Congress to think about wildfires as a national security challenge

The Managing Director for the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience discussed how supporters of the Fix Our Forests Act are urging Congress to include the measure in the annual defense authorization bill because wildfires can threaten military installations, disrupt training, strain critical infrastructure, and increase demands on the National Guard.

A growing coalition wants Congress to think about wildfires as a national security challenge

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Ending the roadless rule can help fight forest fires and improve wildlife access

As debate rages about rescinding the Roadless Rule, the John and Jean DeNault Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution weighed in on the issue, pointing out that doing so is not a threat to federally-administered wilderness, but rather a statement that society has had enough and that it's time to manage wilderness rather than letting it burn.

Ending the roadless rule can help fight forest fires and improve wildlife access

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The Alliance Of Forest Service Retired Fire Leaders Sends Letter To USDA And DOI To Advocate For A Unified National Wildfire Service.

The Alliance of Forest Service Retired Fire Leaders sent a letter to USDA Secretary Rollins, DOI Secretary Burgum, DHS Secretary Mullin, and OMB Director Vought, as well as the Congressional Chairs of subcommittees that oversee policy and appropriations for the wildfire agencies, calling for the centralizing and restructuring of the U.S. Forest Service fire management program.

The Alliance Of Forest Service Retired Fire Leaders Sends Letter To USDA And DOI To Advocate For A Unified National Wildfire Service.

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Wildfire Risk

Insurance companies are starting to write new policies in California again after years of holding back as wildfire risk climbed higher, but Consumer Watchdog released an estimate of new policy commitments, finding that just 12,189 have been written since January 2025, when the Insurance Commissioner’s sustainable insurance strategy went into effect.

Wildfire Risk

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National preparedness level drops to PL 2 as wildfire activity eases

National Interagency Fire Center officials announced that the national preparedness level dropped to PL 2 Tuesday morning due to a decrease in initial attack and significant wildland fire activity, as 9,701 firefighters and support personnel continued to battle 31 large fires nationwide.

National preparedness level drops to PL 2 as wildfire activity eases

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Senate Committee Advances Respirator Requirements for Federal Wildland Firefighters

Federal wildland firefighters could gain their first federal smoke-exposure limits and dedicated respiratory protection under provisions included in the Healthy Lungs for Heroes Act, which was advanced by the Senate Agriculture Committee as part of the 2026 Farm Bill.

Senate Committee Advances Respirator Requirements for Federal Wildland Firefighters

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2 killed in CA helicopter crash responding to wildfire in Yosemite: FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a Fly-Precision helicopter assisting in the firefighting response to the Dome Fire in Yosemite crashed in Mariposa on Sunday afternoon, killing the two people on board, prompting a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

2 killed in CA helicopter crash responding to wildfire in Yosemite: FAA

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Western wildfires increasingly intersect critical water supply watersheds

A new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment which examined more than eight decades of wildfire activity found that fires are burning more land in watersheds in the West that supply water to millions of people than in years past.

Western wildfires increasingly intersect critical water supply watersheds

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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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Grist delved into the growing problem of wildfires straining firefighting resources, with many requests for help going unfulfilled, pointing to an August 11th memo from the National Multi-Agency Coordinating group, which handles logistics for firefighting across the federal government, warning that “resource availability remains critically low, with commitments approaching all-time peak levels.”

America is losing its war against wildfire

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Wildfires can be tracked by their distinctive rumble

In a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers have shown that they can now map distant wildfires through the rumble they make, noting that even a low-intensity grassland fire “hums” loudly enough to be monitored just by sound.

Wildfires can be tracked by their distinctive rumble

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How AI is playing a growing role in wildfire response

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is making inroads into a variety of industries and applications, including helping detect and monitor wildfires, researchers are exploring how it could help fire officials decide where to deploy crews across multiple fires.

How AI is playing a growing role in wildfire response

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National Fire News

The National Interagency Fire Center reported that 68 new fires, including five new large fires, cropped up nationwide on Tuesday, as 20,245 firefighters and support personnel continued to battle 84 large fires, in a year in which 52,626 wildfires have burned more than 8.2 million acres across the United States.

National Fire News

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Microsoft Donates US$5m to Help Detect & Prevent Wildfires

Following a year in which nearly 78,000 wildfires blazed across the U.S., representing a 20% increase over 2024, Microsoft is investing in AI-powered wildfire detection, as hotter temperatures, prolonged drought and expanding development increase the wildfire risk to communities and ecosystems.

Microsoft Donates US$5m to Help Detect & Prevent Wildfires

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