Wildfires

When a wildfire ignites, a fast response is critical. That’s why Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill to fund cameras equipped with Artificial Intelligence. They would detect plumes of smoke and help nearby firefighters decide how to respond. We hear from a fire chief who’s been using the cameras, today on In The NoCo.

A decision from the Trump Administration removed about 2,000 members of the U.S. Forest Services. Now agencies that work directly with them on wildfire management say they have concerns.

The initiative is designed to mitigate fire risk, but some residents say the work is drastic, and needs more community input.

Crews working near Boulder spent the past few months extinguishing an unusual fire: It was an underground blaze left over from the area’s coal mining days more than a century ago. Today on In The NoCo, we find out how they put out the fire – and just how hazardous these underground fires can be.

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.

Researchers are working to better understand the toxic exposures faced by the firefighters who responded.

An obscure federal agency recently released what it calls the “most comprehensive data on homeowners insurance in history.” And the picture it paints for the Mountain West is a concerning one.

Wildfires, hailstorms, and other catastrophic events have caused billions of dollars in damage in Colorado. They’re also amping up worries that insurance companies might pull out of high-risk areas, leaving homeowners high and dry, without coverage. A state lawmaker discusses a few ideas to prevent that from happening, today on In The NoCo.

Nearby smoke plumes can drop generation substantially, but smoke that blows in from distant blazes appears to have only a "modest" effect.

While California has a uniquely unstable insurance market, many of the issues there are increasingly being seen across the West. The state’s previous insurance commissioner says there are things other states can do to stave off more serious problems.