National Interagency Fire Center News

Guy Carpenter Says Wildfire Losses May Exceed $1.75B

A briefing from Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC on Monday shows more than 9 million acres were burned by wildfires so far this year, most of that occurring in the Western U.S, and that insured losses from wildfires could approach …

Effective Wildfire Prevention Hampered by Liability, Weather, Development

Forest managers would prefer to use prescribed burns every few years to help prevent costly wildfires and rebuild unhealthy ecosystems, but hurdles like staffing, budget, liability and new development hinder them, a new University of Florida study shows. Fighting wildfires …

Wildfires Across The West Push Spending Past $1B

More than 40 uncontained, active and large wildfires dot the western U.S. from Arizona to Washington state and Alaska, taxing national firefighting resources and helping to push spending past $1 billion for the year. The National Interagency Fire Center in …

U.S. Fights Growing Wildfire Threat with Shrinking Budget

The tragedy came without warning. Wind split the Arizona wildfire in two, trapping 19 firefighters from the Granite Mountain Hotshots between twin walls of flame that would take their lives. The erosion of U.S. firefighting resources has been much more …

Rain Delays Wildfire Season in Parts Of West

Rain and cooler temperatures mean the wildfire season in Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Montana will start later than initially predicted, officials with the National Interagency Fire Center said Saturday. But wildfire analyst Jeremy Sullens said the wet weather hasn’t been …

Feds: Another Tough Wildfire Season For West

Fire officials are poised for a tough wildfire season after another dry winter across much of the West, and made more challenging because federal budget cuts mean fewer firefighters on the ground, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Monday. Jewell said …