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Wildfire Statistics [Updated November 3, 2020]
From the Document: "Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires, including lightning-caused fires, unauthorized human-caused fires, and escaped prescribed fire projects. States are responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on nonfederal (state, local, and private) lands, except for lands protected by federal agencies under cooperative agreements. The federal government is responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on federal lands. The Forest Service (FS)--within the U.S. Department of Agriculture--carries out wildfire management and response across the 193 million acres of the National Forest System. The Department of the Interior (DOI) manages wildfire response for more than 400 million acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and preserves, other public lands, and Indian reservations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoover, Katie; Hanson, Laura A.
2020-11-03
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Mitigation of Wildfire Risk by Homeowners
"In the summer of 2003, we began studying how institutional incentives impact the decisions homeowners make to mitigate wildfire risk on their property. Hodgson (1996) has predicted that homeowners take action to reduce their risk of loss due to wildfire based on motive, means, and opportunity. Our research was originally designed to ascertain whether formal institutional arrangements, in particular homeowner insurance and government programs, provide incentives for homeowners to mitigate wildfire risk. While the original intent of the study was to focus on the role of institutional arrangements
and incentives, our open approach led to a somewhat different study focus. When asking homeowners about the kinds of mitigation actions they were undertaking and their motivations for these taking these actions, we realized that formal institutional arrangements were not a major motivator for homeowners. Therefore, the interviews focused on informal social arrangements and other factors that homeowners told us were motivators for them to undertake mitigation efforts. Ultimately, the results of the study could be used to inform program implementers charged with encouraging homeowners
to mitigate wildfire risk. To pursue the larger goal, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews. This approach allowed us to explore and pursue the interests of individual homeowners as each explained what he or she knew about fire, fire risk, and fire mitigation. Rather than composing a pre-fabricated set of questions which binds the subject to confined answers, this approach allowed study participants to explain the justification and importance of these issues to them and their lives. It also facilitated the study participants guiding the research and the researchers."
United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Forest Service
Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Champ, Patricia A.; Flores, Nicholas
2005-03
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Wildfire Smoke and Health Risk Communication Workshop Report
"Recognizing the risks from exposure to smoke from wildland fires, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal and state agencies have produced a number of documents to inform efforts to communicate wildfire smoke risks and to provide actions that communities and individuals can take to reduce risks from smoke exposures. [...] The EPA's ACE [Air, Climate, and Energy] research program and Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) cosponsored a 'Wildfire Smoke Health Risk Management and Communication Workshop' with the goal to identify opportunities for research and technological solutions that could improve health risk communication strategies, increase health-protective behaviors, and reduce the public health burden during wildfire smoke episodes. We designed the workshop to engage participants in interdisciplinary problem formulation and to develop a shared and multidimensional understanding of [1] the nature of the public health problem associated with smoke exposures that reflects community attributes and experiences, and [2] what types of information and actions related to health risk communication and management might be appropriate for scientific evaluation. This workshop piloted an interdisciplinary and multistakeholder social-environmental research problem formulation approach to improve understanding of knowledge gaps and generate ideas to meet the workshop objective. [...] This report summarizes in detail, the activities and discussions during the EPA sponsored workshop titled 'Wildfire Smoke and Health Risk Communication: Integrating Social and Natural Sciences to Improve Risk Communication and Management Strategies in Impacted Communities.'"
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
2017-03-10
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Courage Under Fire: Examining Government Preparedness and Response to Wildfires in California, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, August 20, 2019
This is the August 20, 2019 hearing on "Courage Under Fire: Examining Government Preparedness and Response to Wildfires in California," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Environment of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. From the Opening Statement of Harley Rouda: "First, we will examine the status of the recovery from the two deadliest wildfires in the state's history in 2017 and 2018, as well as challenges we are facing going into the peak of the 2019 wildfire season. [...] The second goal of this hearing is to underscore the enormous public health consequences of wildfires, especially when fires ravage densely populated areas. [...] Finally, this hearing will demonstrate that if we in the Federal Government do not take action on climate change, we are digging our own graves fire by fire, hurricane by hurricane, heatwave by heatwave." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Robert Fenton, Randy Moore, Mark Ghilarducci, Dan Johnson, Max Moritz, Afif El-Hasan, Brent Berkompas, and Drew Smith.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019
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Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior and Homeland Security Announce Partnership to Develop Comprehensive Wildfire Management Strategy [April 21, 2010]
"Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced the formation of a federal partnership with state, regional, local and tribal leaders to develop a strategy to more effectively address America's wildland fire challenges. At a meeting of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council in Washington, D.C., local officials joined governors, representatives of tribal governments and the departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Homeland Security to establish a blueprint for a 'Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy.' 'The Council provides the right framework for a strong national strategy to address the growing threats of wildfire,' said Secretary Salazar. 'The Council's partnerships are key to the establishment of a national, intergovernmental wildfire policy that will ensure the safety of our firefighters and the citizens they protect as we confront longer and more intense fire seasons in more regions of the country.' 'There are no easy solutions to the challenges of wildland fire,' said Secretary Vilsack. 'But a cohesive wildfire management strategy will provide the best blueprint to ensure community safety and the restoration of ecosystems that will, in the long run, benefit all Americans, especially those who live in rural areas.'"
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office
2010-04-21
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Wildfire Disasters: FEMA Could Take Additional Actions to Address Unique Response and Recovery Challenges, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "In 2017 and 2018, deadly wildfires struck the state of California, tragically resulting in 159 deaths and over 32,000 structures destroyed. FEMA, as the lead federal agency for responding to and recovering from disasters, has obligated about $2 billion in housing, debris removal, and other assistance following these disasters. According to recent environmental assessments, fire seasons are increasing in length, putting more people and infrastructure at risk. GAO was asked to assess a range of response and recovery issues related to the 2017 disasters. Specifically, this report addresses (1) the assistance FEMA provided to jurisdictions in response to major disaster declarations stemming from wildfires from 2015 through 2018, (2) selected jurisdictions' perspectives on FEMA wildfire response and recovery efforts, and (3) the extent to which FEMA has identified and addressed key lessons learned. GAO obtained data on FEMA wildfire disaster assistance and statistics on fire damages and fatalities; reviewed key documentation, such as incident action plans and after action reports; and interviewed officials from FEMA headquarters and regional offices, states, and a nonprobability sample of affected local jurisdictions (e.g., counties)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-10
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Protecting Yourself While Responding to Wildfires
This training tool is an awareness-level health and safety resource for skilled support personnel" who will participate in a wildfire assessment and cleanup. This tool will help workers understand at an awareness level: characteristics of what a wildfire and a wildfire response is and how to protect against and control hazards associated with the response, assessment and cleanup activities associated with a wildfire."
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
2007-12
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Use of the Simtable in a Wildfire Prevention Program
"The SFCFD [Santa Fe County Fire Department] needs an effective tool to enhance public education and wildfire prevention activities in the WUI [Wildland Urban Interface]. The Simtable is an interactive, three dimensional sand table incorporating state of the art agent modeling technology designed for firefighter education, training and outreach. The purpose is to determine if the Simtable can be used successfully in a wildfire prevention program. Descriptive research reveals the basis for improving prevention activities; the development of the Simtable in comparison with the traditional sand table; and what is generally effective in wildfire education. A questionnaire, observations and interviews indicate that the device is favorably regarded by educators, is well suited for use in prevention education and will be a useful device in promoting wildfire prevention activities."
National Fire Academy
Sperling, David
2009-12
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Cost Analysis of Wildfire Suppression Activities in the Black Hills of South Dakota
"he research purpose of this correlational study was to identify and analyze the cost drivers of wildfire suppression activity in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Both correlational analysis and regression modeling were used as procedures to answer the research questions of the identification of the cost factors and their interrelationships to total wildfire suppression costs. Results showed that the factors of size and the cost of aviation resources were the only significant variables showing any correlation or predictive power for the total cost of a wildfire, (r² greater than .8, p less than .0001). Recommendations are to increase oversight for aviation operations and to maintain aggressive initial attack to keep wildfires starts small in size in the fire department's service area."
National Fire Academy
Strain, James E.
2010-07?
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S. Hrg. 112-592: Impacts of Climate Change on the Intermountain West, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session to Examine the Current and Future Impacts of Climate Change on the Intermountain West, Focusing on Drought, Wildfire Frequency and Severity, and Ecosystems, Santa Fe, NM, August 17, 2012
From the opening statement of Jeff Bingaman: "Wildfires have always been part of life in this region. But this year's fires have been exceptional in their intensity. The work of the Nation's top scientists tells us that some of the conditions contributing to the severity of this year's fire season, including drought, accompanied by above average temperatures, are now more commonly--are common because of human induced climate change. The National Research Council has examined historical wildfire data as part of its America's Climate Choices report. They found that quote, 'Over the past 30 years large and long duration forest fires in the American West have increased fourfold. The length of the fire season has expanded by two and a half months. The size of wildfires has increased several fold.' The study further attributed the increase of wildfire activity to climate change stating that climate change has likely contributed to a significant increase in big forest fires in the West. They did a separate report, the same National Research Council, in 2011 and projected an increase in median annual area burn in parts of New Mexico and in the Sierras of over 300 percent for a global increase in temperature of just one degree Celsius. That level of warming is all but certain to be reached and exceeded in coming years. The intent of this hearing is to receive testimony that puts these recent fires into a greater historical context to unravel the factors that contributed to their severity and to understand how climate change has and is expected to continue to change the landscape and ecosystems of the Intermountain West." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Craig D. Allen, Jeff Bingaman, Walter Dasheno, William deBuys, Denise D. Fort, Nathan McDowell, and Kelly T. Redmond.
United States. Government Printing Office
2012
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S. Hrg. 114-267: Wildfire: Stakeholder Perspectives on Budgetary Impacts and Threats to Natural Resources on Federal, State, and Private Lands
This testimony is from the November 5, 2015 hearing, "Wildfire: Stakeholder Perspectives on Budgetary Impacts and Threats to Natural Resources on Federal, State, and Private Lands," held before the United States Senate, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. From the statement of Pat Roberts: "Today, the committee turns its attention to a topic that is quite timely coming off the end of a disastrous wildfire season. It is my hope that this hearing adds to the public record about the need to address significant policy issues regarding catastrophic wildfire and forest management on federal, state, and private lands. Let me emphasize that our committee has the oversight responsibility for the U.S. Forest Service, whose primary mission is to sustain the overall health, diversity, and productivity of our country's National Forests. Often thought of as a Western issue on public lands, this hearing serves as a reminder that the Agriculture Committee has a critical role in the larger wildfire debate." Statements, letters, and other materials submitted for the record include the following: Pat Roberts, Dan Dessecker, William R. Dougan, Ken Stewart, and Chris Treese.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2015-11-05
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Improving Air Support for Wildfire Management in the United States
From the thesis abstract: "The use of aviation in wildfire management is essential to combating a growing hazard across the United States, but the modern organizational framework employed by the federal government is faulty. Chief among the problems is the contract-based approach; with rampant inefficiencies, unsafe practices, and stagnant culture that resists innovation, the contracted structure has wasted billions of dollars and cost firefighters their lives. This study looks at three options to take over the aviation wildfire responsibilities--the active duty military, the National Guard, and a new DHS [Department of Homeland Security] agency--in terms of the legal, societal, fiscal, and organizational implications of each alternative. The active duty option would sacrifice traditional military readiness for a wildfire mission; the new DHS agency would require far too great an expense in political capital and funding to get started, in the absence of a focusing event. The National Guard option offers the most practical and acceptable solution for politicians and the public to provide an improved aviation service. With unique flexibility to operate under state or federal control, the National Guard would bring professional military capabilities to their existing role in wildfire management."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Glickstein, Geoffrey L.
2014-09
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S. Hrg. 114-337: Review of Past Wildfire Seasons to Inform and Improve Future Federal Wildland Fire Management Strategies, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, November 17, 2015
This is the November 17, 2015 hearing on "Hearing to Review Past Wildfire Seasons and Improve Future Federal Wildland Fire Management Strategies," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. From the opening statement of Lisa Murkowski: "This year's [2015] season is among the most devastating years for wildfires since reliable records began in 1960, coming close to 2006 when an all time high of nearly 9.9 million acres burned. Mega fires, which are the fires over 100,000 acres in size and incomprehensible just decades ago, are becoming the new norm. [...]We must work with our state agencies, our local communities and the public to increase community preparedness and make our forests healthy again. Healthy, resilient forests are fire resistant forests. Yet, despite knowing the value of fuel reduction treatments in mitigating wildfire risks, increasing fire fighter safety and restoring the health of our forests, active management is still often met with a series of discouraging and near insurmountable obstacles. High upfront costs, long planning horizons and regulatory environment requirements, including what seem like unending environmental reviews, are impeding our ability to implement treatments at the pace and the scale these wildfires are occurring." Statements, letters, and other materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Anne-Marie Fennel, John Masich, William Wallace Covington, Richard B. Zerkel, Mike Burnett, and Jon Wyss.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2016
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S. Hrg. 115-112: Hearing on Forest Management to Mitigate Wildfires: Legislative Solutions, Hearing Before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, September 27, 2017
This is from the September 27, 2017 hearing on "Forest Management to Mitigate Wildfires: Legislative Solutions," held before the Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the opening statement of John Barrasso: "Today the Committee is going to hear testimony on three bills related to catastrophic wildfires burning across the West. Senator Daines has introduced Senate 605, the Litigation Relief for Forest Management Projects Act, which would address conflicting circuit court decisions and prevent costly delays in forest management as a result of duplicative consultation requirements. [...] In addition, these dead forests are much more prone to catastrophic fires. These hot, fast-moving fires are unpredictable and cause significant damage to the ecosystem and surrounding communities. There are the obvious impacts from these fires, and we have a poster board to show Bambi running away from a wildfire. Wildlife that flee too slowly are burned, homes and habitat are lost, and smoke billows into the air. Smoke and ash travel for miles, spreading fear among those who already face respiratory challenges, as this poster shows. Looks like a woman and her child walking with masks over their faces be-cause of the impact of the smoke from the fire. It is not uncommon to see people, including children and the elderly, wearing face masks. Coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes leads people to ask, is all that wildfire smoke damaging my health?" Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jessica Crowder, Lawson Fite, and Collin O'Mara.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018
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S. Hrg. 114-361: Improving Interagency Forest Management to Strengthen Tribal Capabilities for Responding to and Preventing Wildfires and S. 3014, a Bill to Improve the Management of Indian Forest Land, and for Other Purposes, Hearing Before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, June 8, 2016
This is the June 8, 2016 hearing on "Improving Interagency Forest Management to Strengthen Tribal Capabilities for Responding to and Preventing Wildfires and S. 3014, a Bill to Improve the Management of Indian Forest Land, and for Other Purposes," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. From the opening statement of the Honorable John Barrasso, U.S. Senator from Wyoming, "As the 2016 wildfire season begins, we take this opportunity to examine current Federal laws and policies in place that strengthen tribal capabilities and capacity for responding to and preventing wildfires on tribal lands. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, last year approximately 4.8 million acres of Federal land managed by the Department of the Interior burned as a result of wildland fires. Of that amount, over a half-million acres of Bureau of Indian Affairs land burned due to wildfires. [...]The Department of the Interior carries out the trust responsibilities to manage and protect Indian forests. The Department of Agriculture, specifically the U.S. Forest Service, is the primary neighbor of Indian lands, with over 4,000 miles of shared boundaries. Over 18 million acres of forests are located on over 305 Indian reservations in 24 States. These forests are vital to many Indian and rural communities. They provide a foundation for job creation, economic development, and cultural preservation. However, one fire can destroy all of that." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael Black, James Hubbard, Carole Lankford, and William Nicholson.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2016
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Fire Management Today: Rim Fire Effects on Restored Areas, Budworm Effects and Wildfire, You Will Not Stand Alone, and More… (Volume 75 No.2, 2017)
This issue of Fire Management Today features an article praising the work done in 2017 while looking forward to 2018 titled "Thank You Team!" by Shawna Legarza. Other articles include "Rim Fire Severity in Forests With Relatively Restored Frequent Fire Regimes" by Jamie M. Lydersen, Malcolm P. North, and Brandon M. Collins; "Western Spruce Budworm and Wildfire: Is There a Connection?" by Daniel G. Gavin, Aquila Flower, Greg M. Cohn, Russell A. Parsons, and Emily K. Heyerdahl; "Coping With Tragedy: You Will Not Stand Alone" by Kristel Johnson; "Unplanned Wildfire in Areas With Slash Piles" by Alexander M. Evans and Clinton S. Wright; "Prescribed Fire Training Center Surpasses 1 Million Acres" by Joseph P. Ferguson and Greg Seamon; "Insurance and Wildfire Mitigation: What Do We Know?" by James R. Meldrum, Chris Barth, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Lilia Falk, and Travis Warziniack; "Contracting Without Getting Burned" by Ed Delaney; "Interagency Partnership Mitigates Wildfire Risk in Georgia" by Holly Krake, Mike Ward, and Mike Davis; "Becoming Authentic: The Heart of Leadership in Wildland Fire Management" by Alexis Waldron and Mike Alarid; "Six Minutes for Safety"; and "Ten Fire Orders and Eighteen Watchout Situations."
United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Forest Service
2017-12
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Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction [September 16, 2009]
"Severe wildfires have been burning more area and more houses in recent years. Some assert that climate change is at least partly to blame; others claim that the increasing number of homes in and near the forest (the wildland-urban interface) is a major cause. However, most observers agree that wildfire suppression and historic land management practices have led to unnaturally high accumulations of biomass in many forests, primarily in the intermountain West. While high-intensity conflagrations (wildfires that burn the forest canopy) occur naturally in some ecosystems (called crown-fire or stand-replacement fire ecosystems), abnormally high biomass levels can lead to conflagrations in ecosystems when such crown fires were rare (called frequent-surface-fire ecosystems). Thus, many propose activities to reduce forest biomass fuels. [...]. The issues for Congress include the appropriate level of funding for prescribed burning and thinning for fuel reduction and the appropriate reporting of accomplishments. Current reporting does not identify ecosystems being treated and the effectiveness of the treatments. Similarly, current appropriations and reporting do not distinguish thinning for fuel reduction from thinning for other purposes, such as enhancing timber productivity. More complete reporting could allow Congress to better target its appropriations for fuel reduction to enhance wildfire protection."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gorte, Ross W.
2009-09-16
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Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection [Updated January 18, 2006]
From the Document: "Congress continues to face questions about forestry practices, funding levels, and the federal role in wildland fire protection. Several recent fire seasons have been, by most standards, among the worst in the past half century. National attention began to focus on wildfires when a prescribed burn in May 2000 escaped control and burned 239 homes in Los Alamos, NM. President Clinton responded by requesting a doubling of wildfire management funds, and Congress enacted much of this proposal in the FY2001 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 106-291). President Bush responded to the severe 2002 fires by proposing a Healthy Forests Initiative to reduce fuel loads by expediting review processes. Many factors contribute to the threat of wildfire damages. Two major factors are the decline in forest and rangeland health and the expansion of residential areas into wildlands - the urban-wildland interface. Over the past century, aggressive wildfire suppression, as well as past grazing and logging practices, have altered many ecosystems, especially those where light, surface fires were frequent. Many areas now have unnaturally high fuel loads (e.g., dead trees and dense thickets) and an historically unnatural mix of plant species (e.g., exotic invaders)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gorte, Ross W.
2006-01-18
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Forest Fire/Wildfire Protection [Updated February 14, 2005]
From the Document: "Congress continues to face questions about forestry practices, funding levels, and the federal role in wildland fire protection. The 2000 and 2002 fire seasons were, by most standards, among the worst in the past half century. National attention began to focus on wildfires when a prescribed burn in May 2000 escaped control and burned 239 homes in Los Alamos, NM. President Clinton responded by requesting a doubling of wildfire management funds, and Congress enacted much of this proposal in the FY2001 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 106-291). President Bush responded to the severe 2002 fires by proposing a Healthy Forests Initiative to reduce fuel loads by expediting review processes. Many factors contribute to the threat of wildfire damages. Two major factors are the decline in forest and rangeland health and the expansion of residential areas into wildlands - the urban-wildland interface. Over the past century, aggressive wildfire suppression, as well as past grazing and logging practices, have altered many ecosystems, especially those where light, surface fires were frequent. Many areas now have unnaturally high fuel loads (e.g., dead trees and dense thickets) and an historically unnatural mix of plant species (e.g., exotic invaders)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gorte, Ross W.
2005-02-14
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California Wildfires and Federal Assistance [October 25, 2007]
"Wildfires in southern California have destroyed homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The federal government is assisting state and local efforts to control the fires and evacuate those at risk. Federal programs also exist to assist in recovery efforts after the fires are out. Preventing a recurrence of catastrophic wildfires is impossible, but research has shown how to protect homes even while wildfires are burning. Raging wildfires, burned homes, and the evacuation of thousands of Californians have been making headlines. Options for federal support and assistance -- during the fires, in the aftermath, and aimed at preventing a recurrence -- have been raised by many concerned about the ongoing disaster. This report addresses these federal options."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gorte, Ross W.
2007-10-25
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California Wildfires: The Role of Disaster Insurance [October 25, 2007]
"The tragic consequences of the wildfires that struck southern California in late October 2007, have given renewed attention to the partnership between private providers of disaster insurance and the federal government. In broad terms, the disruption to economic systems caused by natural disasters, such as wildfires, windstorms, earthquakes, and floods, have been handled either by the insurance and reinsurance industries and by the federal government (taxpayers). Consequently, large government outlays for disaster assistance and higher premiums for disaster insurance and reinsurance have followed the devastation caused by natural and man-made disasters. While it is too early to determine the full impact of the 2007 California wildfires on state and national property insurance markets, early estimates of $1 billion in insured property losses suggest this event will not exceed the most destructive fire in the state's history -- the 1991 Oakland fires that cost $1.7 billion. The scope of the losses is well within the demonstrated capacity of the private insurance and reinsurance markets. In California, applicants for fire coverage under the Fair Access to Insurance Requirement (FAIR) plan must live in areas of the state specifically designated by the insurance commissioner. Assistance for uninsured losses is being met through standing authorities; the need for additional federal legislation is not yet known. Federal costs to cover uninsured losses associated with the wildfires in California may require supplemental appropriations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
King, Rawle O.
2007-10-25
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Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction [May 13, 2013]
"Recent fire seasons have been getting more severe, with more acres burned and more damage to property and resources. More acres burned in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012 than in any other years since record-keeping began in 1960. Many assert that the threat of severe wildfires and the cost of suppressing fires have grown because many forests have unnaturally high amounts of biomass to fuel the fires, as well as because of climate change and the increasing numbers of homes in and near forests (the 'wildland-urban interface'). Further, many believe that federal efforts to reduce biomass accumulations to historically natural levels have been hindered by public concerns about the impacts; others contend that some proposed activities will lead to commercial timber harvests with little or no fire protection benefits. Congress is considering proposals to authorize and/or fund various activities to reduce biomass fuels and to alter the public review processes for some of those actions (e.g., H.R. 1345). This report examines wildfire biomass fuels. It begins with a discussion of fuel characteristics and their relation to wildfire intensity and spread. This is followed with a description of actions proposed to reduce biomass fuel levels, their effectiveness for protecting property and resources from wildfires, and their impacts on other resource values. It concludes with an examination of the federal authorities for fuel reduction activities on federal and nonfederal lands, together with data on the funding provided under each of these authorities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bracmort, Kelsi
2013-05-13
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Wildfire Fuels and Fuel Reduction [December 17, 2013]
"Severe wildfires have been burning more acres and more structures in recent years. Some assert that climate change is at least partly to blame; others claim that the increasing number of homes in and near the forest (the 'wildland-urban interface') is a major cause. However, most observers agree that wildfire suppression and historic land management practices have led to unnaturally high accumulations of biomass in many forests, particularly in the intermountain West. While high-intensity conflagrations (wildfires that burn the forest canopy) occur naturally in some ecosystems (called crown-fire or stand-replacement fire ecosystems), abnormally high biomass levels can lead to conflagrations in ecosystems when such crown fires were rare (called frequentsurface- fire ecosystems). Thus, many propose activities to reduce forest biomass fuels. The characteristics of forest biomass fuels affect the nature, spread, and intensity of the fire. Fuel moisture content is critical, but is generally a function of weather patterns over hours, days, and weeks. Fuel size is also important--fine and small fuels (e.g., needles, grasses, leaves, small twigs) are key to fire spread, while larger fuels (e.g., twigs larger than pencil-diameter, branches, and logs) contribute primarily to fire intensity; both are important to minimizing fire damages. Fuel distribution can also affect damages. Relatively continuous fuels improve burning, and vertically continuous fuels--fuel ladders--can lead a surface fire into the canopy, causing a conflagration. Total fuel accumulations (fuel loads) also contribute to fire intensity and damage. Thus, activities that alter biomass fuels--reducing total loads, reducing small fuels, reducing large fuels, and eliminating fuel ladders--can help reduce wildfire severity and damages."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bracmort, Kelsi
2013-12-17
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2019 California Wildfires: Brief Overview of FEMA Programs and Resources [November 1, 2019]
From the Document: "This Insight provides a brief overview of current Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declarations and federal assistance programs that may be available. The National Weather Service (NWS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides fire weather outlooks intended to delineate areas of the continental United States where 'preexisting fuel conditions, combined with forecast weather conditions during the next eight days, will result in a significant threat for the ignitions and/or spread of wildfires.' [...] NWS reports that various portions of California have experienced or are expected to experience weather conditions, including Santa Ana winds, which are conducive to igniting and spreading wildfires as well as making those wildfires difficult to suppress or contain. [...] Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act; P.L. 93-288, as amended; 42 U.S.C. §§5121 et seq.) authorizes the President to declare a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Regional Administrators have been delegated the authority to authorize an FMAG because of the need to expedite assistance when the threat of a major disaster exists. [...] FMAGs have been authorized in 2019 for multiple wildfires, including the Kincade, Getty, Tick, Easy, Hill, 46, and Hillside Fires."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webster, Elizabeth M.; Lindsay, Bruce R.; Horn, Diane P. . . .
2019-11-01
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Wildfire Smoke: Air Quality Concerns and Management [November 2, 2020]
From the Document: "Wildfire smoke can temporarily degrade air quality and harm human health. Some Members of Congress have expressed concern about wildfire health risks, including potential interactions with COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. This Insight provides background, discusses federal air quality requirements related to wildfires, and identifies wildfire smoke response programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shouse, Kate C.; Esworthy, Robert
2020-11-02
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Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Handbook for Public Facilities
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) strives continuously to improve the delivery of disaster assistance to State, local, and tribal governments. One important goal of disaster assistance is to reduce the vulnerability of communities to damage from future disasters. This Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Handbook for Public Facilities (Handbook) is intended to assist facility owners affected by wildfire disasters by suggesting mitigation measures that can be taken to reduce the vulnerability of damaged facilities to future wildfire incidents. The measures described in this Handbook are applicable to the Public Assistance (PA) Program and are intended to help Applicants for assistance under the program identify options that can be implemented during post-disaster repair and rebuilding to reduce the potential for future damage. FEMA provides assistance to State, local, and tribal governments under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 United States Code §§ 5121 5206, as amended. Under the Stafford Act, FEMA is authorized to provide resources necessary to reduce the loss of life and property caused by emergencies and major disasters. FEMA works with Federal, State, local, and tribal liaisons to carry out this mission through a comprehensive emergency management program."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2008-10
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Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Desk Reference Guide (June 2019)
From the Document: "The 'Wildland Urban Interface Wildfire Mitigation Desk Reference Guide' provides basic background information on relevant programs and terminology for those, whether community members or agency personnel, seeking to enhance their community's wildfire mitigation efforts. The four primary objectives of this reference guide are to: [1] Provide a reference to assist with integrating wildland urban interface mitigation principles into national wildland fire training; [2] Promote common wildfire mitigation language and culture; [3] Establish an authoritative source for wildland urban interface mitigation information; and [4] Provide consistent definitions for use by all media."
National Wildfire Coordinating Group (U.S.)
2019-06
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Serial No. 113-32: Wildfire and Forest Management, Oversight Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation of the Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, July 11, 2013
This is the July 11, 2013 oversight hearing on "Wildfire and Forest Management," held before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. The topic of this hearing is reform of the management of federal lands to reduce the number of wildfires and protect the lands. The need to minimize the risk of wildfires is great, and cooperation is necessary to reduce the numbers. This hearing takes information from Tribes, local government, federal services, and individual academics. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Rob Bishop, Paul A. Gosar, Raúl M. Grijalva, Doc Hastings, Doug Lamborn, Scott R. Tipton, James Douglas, Joseph A. Duda, James Hubbard, Ann Kirckpatrick, Phil Rigdon, Charles W. Roady, Christopher Topik, and Patrick Graham.
United States. Government Printing Office
2013
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S. Hrg. 113-352: Wildfires and Forest Management: Prevention is Preservation, Hearing Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Relations, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, May 14, 2014
This is the May 14, 2014 oversight hearing, "Wildfires and Forest Management: Prevention is Preservation" before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. From the Opening Statement of Chairman Jon Tester: "This Committee is holding an oversight hearing on Wildfires and Forest Management, with a particular focus on the relationship between Federal and tribal forest management. The 2014 fire season is just beginning and thousands of families across the country, particularly western communities, are bracing for another season of devastating forest fires. Already this year, there are at least 17 large fires burning across the southern United States. The latest fires are part of an ominous trend toward bigger, hotter and longer fire seasons. Since 1960, there have been 235 million acres plus burned. To put that in perspective, that amount would cover the entire area of Montana and New Mexico combined. Federal agencies responsible for protecting our communities are working to develop and apply smarter fire fighting strategies and focus on fighting fires and cleaning up the mess afterwards is like trying to live off a high interest credit card. We keep paying more by picking up the pieces at the end as risk for wildfire continues to escalate the cost of damages." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Kevin Washburn, James Hubbard, Danny Breuninger Sr., Philip Rigdon, Jonathan Brooks, and Adrian Leighton.
United States. Government Printing Office
2014
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Innovative Practice: Community Resilience: Nevada's Community Wildfire Protection Plans
"The Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) led an interagency effort to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) in all 17 counties. The NDF encouraged communities within the wildland-urban interface--the zone of transition between human developments and wildland/vegetation--to create plans that address wildfire response, mitigate hazards, and enhance community preparedness. As a result, all of Nevada's counties developed plans that provide communities with a prioritized list of hazards and step-by-step recommendations to protect people, infrastructure, and resources from wildfires."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2014-09-23?
