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In recent years, wildland firefighters have organized to demand change – and have chalked up some notable successes. With longstanding pay issues still unresolved, spouses of firefighters are also starting to organize. Some of them recently formed the group Fired UP to help channel their grievances – and push for additional reforms.
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With the historic Canadian wildfires and tragic blaze in Maui, it’s been a notable fire season in some ways. But as it draws to a close, the number of acres burned in the United States is far below recent years.
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With a last-minute continuing resolution passed over the weekend, the feared wildland firefighter pay cliff has been kicked down the road to November. But with substantial pay cuts still looming, firefighter advocacy groups are going to push for a full, permanent fix, like the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, which enjoys substantial bipartisan support.
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The Mountain West has seen a record increase in wildfires over the past couple years, and even if a fire was not burning in the state, smoke from these fires drifted across the region. Now, new research is showing that exposure to wildfire smoke can have negative effects on the brain.
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New research shows air quality gains in the U.S. have been cut by wildfire smoke. Scientists are sounding the alarm for change if the world wants to breathe clean air in the future.
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Thousands of homeowners in Colorado face the risk of wildfire damage. Wildfire economist Jude Bayham discussed those risks and what people can do to stay safe.
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Just two weeks remain before funding for temporary raises for federal wildland firefighters runs out. In the homestretch, some advocates worry that chaos in Congress — especially in the House — complicates the prospects for a timely resolution.
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It’s no surprise to residents of our region that the 4th of July brings serious risk of human-caused wildfires. But a new paper has some interesting findings on the risk on days leading up to the holiday and after, as well as how the day on which the holiday falls impacts fire frequency.
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Despite the near- and long-term health implications of breathing wildfire smoke, few wildland firefighters use any sort of respirator on the fireline. A new survey is seeking to better understand attitudes surrounding such safety devices with an eye toward better protecting firefighter health.
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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.