Wildfire Suppression

Wildland firefighting is dangerous and often deadly work. That fact was driven home in recent days after three firefighters died fighting a blaze on the Colorado-Utah border. So what tools do firefighters use to protect themselves when a blaze is out of control – and how do these tools help in the worst of scenarios?

Researchers say that during a wildfire, aspen groves in Colorado’s forests help slow the progress of the blaze. So should more mountain communities plant aspen groves on the outskirts of town?

In recent years, there have been a number of fast-moving, destructive wildfires in which residents had little or no warning to evacuate. Federal officials have new recommendations for how communities should prepare for such disasters.

State officials say Colorado will see “normal” fire conditions this summer, but still expect to be busy, according to the latest wildfire outlook.

Recent fires that consumed entire Los Angeles neighborhoods underscore a stark lesson -- water utilities generally aren't designed to respond to the large urban fires growing more common as climate change worsens. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring enough water flows to enough hydrants while demand is high and damaged pipes may be hampering the system.

Boulder Reporting Lab reporter Tim Drugan joined us to talk about efforts to protect homes from wildfires.

A new report says forests managed by tribal communities are extremely underfunded. And that’s affecting lands that tribes in the Mountain West and beyond rely on for economic, social and cultural resources.

A new report from Headwaters Economics and Columbia University’s Climate School paints a damning picture of wildfire policy priorities: those interventions most effective at protecting communities and ecosystems – like building codes, home hardening and prescribed fire – often get the least support, while the least effective (and even sometimes counterproductive) – like wildfire suppression – receive billions in funding.

The U.S. Fire Administrator visited Boise this week, along with a number of other officials, to discuss a new national report on fire prevention and control. Among the key components is the promotion of enforcement of building codes — with the emphasis on structures in the wildland-urban interface — to improve fire resilience.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending more than $490 million to reduce wildfire risk in the West.