Latest Wildfire Headlines

All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.

FEMA Is Ready for Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons, but Money a Concern

Jun 24 2024 // The head of the Homeland Security Department said Friday that the agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country is prepared as it goes into what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season...

Growing Wildfires in New Mexico Destroyed 1,400 Structures

Jun 20 2024 // A pair of wildfires in New Mexico continue to rage uncontained, destroying an estimated 1,400 structures, forcing the evacuation of more than 8,000 people, while rains also flooded parts of the state. The Salt and South...

Northern California Wildfire at 15K-Plus Acres, Containment Grows on Fire in South

Jun 19 2024 // A wildfire is raging through a large swath of western Sacramento Valley after igniting on Monday and spreading to 15,656 acres. Evacuations were ordered in rural areas around the Sites Fire in Colusa County, which is...

New Mexico Wildfires Spread to 20,000 Acres, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate

Jun 19 2024 // A pair of wildfires in New Mexico have spread to more than 20,000 acres, forcing thousands of people to evacuate and leaving one person dead. The South Fork and Salt fires have grown to more than 20,000 acres (16,335 for...

New Mexico Town Ordered to Evacuate Due to Large, Uncontained Wildfire

Jun 18 2024 // Residents of a New Mexico town were ordered to flee their homes on Monday due to a fast-moving wildfire. The town of Ruidoso, with roughly 7,000 residents, was ordered to immediately evacuate from the South Fork and Salt...

Strong Winds Driving Southern California Wildfire

Jun 17 2024 // Strong winds drove a wildfire that forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 visitors to a recreation area and threatened nearby properties over the weekend. Flames burned through dry brush along Interstate 5 north of Los...

Oregon Wineries and Vineyards Seek $100M from PacifiCorp for Wildfire Smoke Damage

Jun 17 2024 // Dozens of Oregon wineries and vineyards have sued PacifiCorp over the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state, alleging that the utility’s decision to not turn off power during the Labor Day windstorm...

Firefighters Increase Containment on California’s First Big Wildfire of the Season

Jun 4 2024 // California’s first big fire of the season is nearly fully contained, as rising temperatures across the West this week are increasing the risk of wildfires. The Corral fire, burning east of San Francisco in San...

Oregon Utility Regulator Rejects PacifiCorp Request to Limit Liability in Wildfire Suits

Jun 4 2024 // Oregon utility regulators have rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits. Under the proposal, PacifiCorp would only have been responsible for paying out actual economic...

AccuWeather: Year’s First Big Heatwave Raises Wildfire Risk in West

Jun 3 2024 // Severe heat will raise the risk of brush and grassfires from central and northern California, also bringing a moderate to and high risk of wildfires in parts of Arizona and New Mexico, a forecast out on Monday shows. The...

Firefighters Battle California Wildfire With Hot Weather in the Forecast

Jun 3 2024 // Firefighters battling a California wildfire burning east of San Francisco have increased containment on the fire, but hot weather is in the forecast for the next few days. Nearly 500 firefighters, along with several air...

Utility Launches Shutoff Plan Aimed at Preventing Another Wildfire Like Lahaina

Jun 3 2024 // More than 48,000 Hawaiian Electric Co. customers living in some of the state’s driest areas will soon face the prospect of advance power shutoffs — and outages that could last several days — in order to reduce...

Oregon Wineries and Vineyards Seek $100M from PacifiCorp for Wildfire Smoke Damage

May 31 2024 // Dozens of Oregon wineries and vineyards have sued PacifiCorp over the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state, alleging that the utility’s decision to not turn off power during the Labor Day windstorm...

Man Accused of Starting Wildfire Near Arizona-California Border

May 29 2024 // A Yuma man has been arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in a national wildlife preserve in southwest Arizona near the California border, according to authorities. Yuma County Sheriff’s officials said...

Texas Panhandle Prepares for State’s Next Big Wildfire

May 28 2024 // LUBBOCK — Spring rains have revived much of the green grass covering stretches of plains in the Texas Panhandle — the same land that, just three months ago, was black from fire and ash after wildfires burned more than...

After Wildfire, Hawaii Fire Crews Take Stock of Their Ability to Communicate in a Crisis

May 24 2024 // Fire departments across the state are reevaluating their emergency communication capabilities after the Maui wildfires, when the vulnerability of the island’s cellular network — and a lack of advanced communication...

Containment on Arizona Wind-Driven Wildfire Grows

May 22 2024 // Roughly 200 firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in Arizona that quickly grew to more than 14,000 acres. Firefighters have kept the Wildcat Fire size from growing over the past day, but extremely low humidity, warm...

Hawaii Outlines Efforts to Prevent Another Devastating Wildfire Ahead of a Dry Season

May 21 2024 // As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Hawaii officials are looking at preventing another similar disaster ahead of what is expected to be a dry, fire-prone season, Gov. Josh...

Arizona Wildfire Growing Amid Windy Conditions

May 20 2024 // A wildfire has led the U.S. Forest Service to shut down a portion of the Tonto National Forest has grown to more than 14,000 acres. The Wildcat Fire increased in size because of windy weather conditions Sunday, prompting...

Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues

May 20 2024 // A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and...