By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, REBECCA BOONE, CLAUDIA LAUER and CHRISTOPHER L. KELLER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — As unpredictable wildfires roared across Maui last August, the head of the emergency management agency dragged his heels about returning to the island amid the unfolding crisis, while a broad communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency alerts, according to a report released Wednesday. Communications problems were also encountered with the Hawaiian Electric Company, with power and emergency workers unable to confirm that power lines were d ..read more

Stephen Hobbs – The Sacramento Bee A California lawmaker wants the state to consider expanding the list of insurance discounts homeowners are eligible for if they take steps to protect their properties from wildfires. At a hearing Wednesday, Assemblyman Damon Connolly, a Democrat from San Rafael, said he wants he wants to make sure that homeowners are getting the proper deductions for the work that they do to mitigate fire risk. Currently, the Department of Insurance requires companies to reduce prices for people take action on their individual properties and ..read more

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, REBECCA BOONE and CLAUDIA LAUER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their engines. Another drove a moped into a burning neighborhood again and again, whisking people away from danger one at a time. But despite devoting nearly all the personnel and vehicles it had to the fight on Aug. 8, 2023, the Maui Fire Department was no match for an unprecedented series of blazes including one t ..read more

By THOMAS W. AURNHAMMER After moving from New Mexico to Colorado, I must admit that I had a lot to learn about fighting fire in the wildland. I was used to having resources in my former fire department such as water and somewhat adequate staffing. Providing fire protection in rural America was much different than in a municipal setting. I spent considerable time contemplating the similarities and differences between structural and wildland firefighting. One of the most disturbing similarities was that both disciplines seem to have the same issue with multiple line-of-duty deaths (LODDs). When ..read more

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canada’s emergency preparedness minister warned Wednesday the country’s wildfire season could be more explosive than last year when it led to unprecedented smoke conditions across much of the country and into the United States. Persistent drought and months of above-average temperatures have raised the risk of a repeat of last year’s record-breaking wildfires, prompting federal ministers to wave a red warning flag about the desperate need to address climate change. “We can expect that the wildfire season will start sooner, end later and potentially be more explosive ..read more

By DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press GLYKA NERA, Greece (AP) — In a drill at a 12th century monastery near Athens, a fast-approaching wildfire threatens to trap clergy and a group of people attending a baptism. Volunteers and firefighters race to pull them to safety through clouds of red smoke, as a drone buzzing overhead sends live video of the rescue to a national coordination center. Members of the baptism party are played by actors hired for the day by the Fire Service and the regional authority, and smoke flares are used to mimic fire conditions.   The exercise held Thursday and mul ..read more

Aravaipa Hotshot Katie Williamson, left, instructs a Wildfire academy student using a chainsaw, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Prescott, Ariz. Forecasters are warning that the potential for wildfires will be above normal in some areas across the United States over the coming months as temperatures rise and rain becomes sparse. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil) By TY ONEIL Associated Press PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — It’s shaping up to be a long wildfire season, with Texas already seeing its largest blaze in recorded history and firefighters becoming overwhelmed with recent blazes in Virginia. Just in the first thr ..read more

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A wildfire in the Florida Panhandle has destroyed a home and damaged at least 15 others. The Florida Forest Service said Friday that the blaze, which broke out Thursday near Pensacola, was now more than 60% contained over an area of 50 acres (20 hectares). No injuries were reported. Spring is the height of wildfire season in the Southeast, before summer brings humidity and drenching thunderstorms to the Gulf Coast. The cause of the fire was unknown and remained under investigation. Homes were evacuated Thursday in some parts of Escambia County north of Pensacola Naval ..read more

File Photo: Summit Trail Fire. A large airtanker makes a water drop on the Summit Trail Fire in Washington. Original public domain image from Flickr By STEPHEN SIMPSON, The Texas Tribune PAMPA, Texas (AP) — Texas’ top emergency manager told a panel of lawmakers that the state should establish its own firefighting aircraft division after a series of wildfires, including the largest in state history, scorched the Panhandle region this year. But the local landowners tasked with helping the Legislature investigate the fires that were responsible for at least two deaths and burned through more th ..read more

GATE CITY. Va. (AP) — A firefighter collapsed and died while battling a 3-acre wildfire in southwestern Virginia, officials said. Firefighter James C. Ward collapsed Saturday while working with a crew to extinguish the fire that broke out in Scott County, the Virginia Department of Forestry said in a statement posted on social media. Ward was taken to Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee, but he did not recover. Ward, a Scott County resident, was an experienced part-time firefighter who had worked with the agency since 1998, officials said. He leaves behind a wife and son ..read more