Wildfires

08/31/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed Executive Order S-16-09 to waive fees and help recovery efforts for the victims of wildfires in Los Angeles, Mariposa, Monterey, Placer, Santa Cruz and Yuba Counties.

Today, the Governor announced the establishment of a Local Assistance Center to help victims of the 49 fire in Placer County. The center will open on Tuesday, September 1 at 9 a.m. and will provide information on state and local services to assist those who have been impacted by this event.    » read more »

June 16, 2009 -- A wildfire rages across southern California wildlands towards residential communities, endangering residents and firefighters and sending property up in smoke. This is an increasingly common story, occurring several times a summer.

To better understand these Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires and how best to prevent or fight them, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have issued an in-depth study on fire behavior and defensive actions taken in a community during a such a fire.    » read more »

May 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Department would invest $15 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to fund 55 projects that will reduce hazardous fuels on thousands of acres of federal land to protect communities at risk from wildland fires, support local economies and rehabilitate ecosystems damaged by wildfire. The funding is part of $3 billion Interior is investing in the nation’s economy under President Obama’s recovery plan.    » read more »

Good Neighbor Forestry Act of 2009 Would Expand Program in Colorado to Western States to Improve Forest Health

May 21, 2009 -- Washington, DC - Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, U.S. Senators from Colorado, are working to protect the health and safety of Colorado's forests by pushing for continued cooperation between state and federal forestry agencies and efficient use of resources through the Good Neighbor Forestry Act of 2009.    » read more »

Udall, Bennet Push to Prioritize Funding for Wildfire Prevention Programs in Mountain Pine Beetle Afflicted Regions of Colorado

May 20, 2009 -- Washington, DC - With the dry, summer season fast approaching, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, U.S. Senators for Colorado, today announced their push for resources to prevent severe wildfires and protect Colorado communities and water supplies, especially in areas affected by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

Udall and Bennet are pushing for special funding priority for Federal Land Management Agencies-the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Parks Service- to boost wildfire prevention programs, especially in areas hard-hit by the mountain pine beetle epidemic.    » read more »

Stresses Vigilance During Wildfire Season

May 8, 2009 -- Ample spring moisture may have dampened fire risk along the Front Range and Eastern Plains, but lower-elevation areas of northwest Colorado will likely see an elevated risk of large wildfires this summer, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter said at his annual wildfire briefing today.

The mountain pine beetle infestation sweeping across Colorado's high country also will continue to create large stands of dead and dying trees that are particularly susceptible to large fires during the hot and dry spells typical of Colorado summers, Gov. Ritter said.    » read more »

05/06/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County as a result of the Jesusita Wildfire which has burned over 400 acres, destroyed homes and caused the evacuation of over 8,000 people.

Earlier this week, the Governor signed an executive order which mobilizes the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and other state agencies to secure and deploy the additional resources and personnel that are necessary to save lives and protect homes statewide from wildfires.

The text of the proclamation is below:

A PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY

WHEREAS on May 5, 2009, a wildfire started in Santa Barbara County, which is exacerbated by high winds and continues to burn; and    » read more »

05/05/2009 -- As part of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, today he issued Executive Order S-05-09, which mobilizes the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to secure and deploy the additional resources and personnel that are necessary to save lives and protect homes statewide from wildfires.    » read more »

Dozens Of Homes Already Destroyed As Fire Now Covers More Than 15,000 Acres

Columbia, S.C. - April 23, 2009 - South Carolina Governor Sanford today issued a State of Emergency for Horry County as a wildfire that has already consumed 15,000 acres and destroyed an estimated 70 homes continued.

The state Forestry Commission is the primary agency in charge of fighting the fire, and the state Emergency Management Division has also deployed support assets to the scene in consultation with the Governor’s Office. The state Emergency Operations Center has been activated, with assets dispatched to fight the fire including a National Guard helicopter and other personnel.    » read more »

Authorizes State Resources to Respond to Wildfires

April 10, 2009 -- AUSTIN – Following severe wildfires that swept across North Texas this week, Texas Governor Rick Perry today reiterated his request to FEMA to issue an emergency declaration for 199 Texas counties based on the threat of wildfires. Perry also authorized additional state resources today to combat the ongoing wildfires across the state.

“The rapidly spreading wildfire threat across North Texas demonstrates how quickly conditions can change and the importance of heeding warnings from local officials,” Gov. Perry said. “I urge Texans, particularly in the northern part of our state, to exercise extreme caution and monitor the situation closely.”    » read more »

FLAME Act Allows Forest Service to Focus on Protecting Communities

March 26, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the FLAME Act (Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act) by a vote of 412 - 3. This vote represents an important step towards fixing the funding crisis that has prevented the Forest Service from conducting work to restore the health of forests and protect communities from devastating wildfires.    » read more »

In Meeting with Firefighters, Vilsack Discusses Local Job Creation

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 — In an address to the International Association of Firefighters today, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced several projects for wildland fire protection and removal of hazardous fuels that will begin immediately. These USDA projects, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will create thousands of jobs in California, Colorado, Florida, and Oregon.    » read more »

March 06, 2009 -- Oklahoma City — Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry said today he is extremely pleased that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to fight the Taloga fire.

“Firefighters and other first-responders have done an incredible job battling the Taloga wildfire, and I am thankful that FEMA moved swiftly to provide federal assistance for their efforts,” Gov. Henry said. “Nearly the entire town of Taloga was evacuated at the height of the fire. This aid will go a long way toward helping the agencies involved in battling the blaze.”

The Governor said state emergency management officials are monitoring conditions throughout Oklahoma that have the potential for the spread of significant wildfires.    » read more »

March 01, 2009 -- AUSTIN – Texas Governor Rick Perry has activated state resources to combat wildfires in Central Texas. These resources include four Texas Military Forces Blackhawk helicopters equipped to drop water and fire retardant, Texas Forest Service fire fighters and contract aircraft and heavy equipment. A cold front sweeping through the state late Friday and Saturday increased the wildfire threat with high winds and low humidity.    » read more »

August 13, 2008 -- Today, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent the following letter to President Bush through Nancy Ward, Federal Emergency Management Agency Regional Administrator, Region IX, requesting that the President amend his previous emergency declaration and declare a major federal disaster for the State of California due to wildfires.

Helicopters fighting a wildfire: Photo by Noah McMurray (CC)

The request includes:

* A major federal disaster declaration for the State of California as a result of the wildfires;
* Dating the declaration to include wildfires that began on May 22, 2008; and    » read more »