Wildfires

Wildfire season is winding down across much of the Mountain West as cold weather moves in. But it’s the perfect time to set controlled, or prescribed, fires to burn unwanted dead trees and underbrush that fuel larger wildfires.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the development of new technology that aims to keeps residents safe from wildfires. We also hear about new spending packages meant to address climate change and speak to the winner of a pageant for women and girls with disabilities.

Sitting in front of a large computer monitor in the back of a Pilatus PC-12 airplane parked at the Centennial Airport, firefighter Adam Hanson says his work feels more important this year than it ever has before.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we revisit some of our favorite stories. We hear how wildfire smoke is impacting air quality and learn about recently unearthed documents at a former tuberculosis treatment center in Colorado Springs. We also check in with activist Buck Adams to learn about his artistic approach in calling for prison reform.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we revisit some of our favorite stories from the last few months. We learn about efforts to make outdoor spaces more accessible for people with disabilities, and hear how one Colorado community is recovering after a devastating wildfire. We also speak with the first Asian American food editor at 5280 Magazine.

Google Maps will soon launch a new filter that shows the location of active wildfires. Beyond just mapping fires, it will also provide local emergency information when available.

Concerns about sending kids back to school have revolved around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But as the wildfire season has become longer, smoke finding its way into the classroom is also a problem. The Mountain West News Bureau's Maggie Mullen reports on the battle to keep children safe.

On today’s episode of Colorado Edition, we learn about the new congressional map recently approved by the state's independent redistricting community. We also hear about sundown towns that discriminated against Indigenous people in Nevada, and learn about the impact of wildfire smoke on air quality.

Massive wildfires across the West have worsened the air in Colorado, contributing to roughly double the number of days residents are exposed to dangerous fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5 versus a decade ago. Researchers say the air can be hazardous even if you don't see or smell smoke.

Western wildfires pose a much broader threat to human health than to just those forced to evacuate the path of the blazes. Smoke from these fires, which have burned millions of acres in California alone, is choking vast swaths of the country, an analysis of federal satellite imagery by NPR’s California Newsroom and Stanford University’s Environmental Change and Human Outcomes Lab found.