rangeland fires Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

President Biden Approves Federal Aid For Eastern Washington Fires Following Months Of Requests

By NWPB News February 4, 2021

Hollie Jordan surveys her father's service station that was destroyed by a wildfire on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Malden, Wash. "This was filled with work and life and memories and it's all gone," Jordan said. CREDIT: Jed Conklin/AP

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved disaster relief requests for nine eastern Washington counties and two Native tribes impacted by summer wildfires. That includes aid for the Whitman County towns of Malden and Pine City, which burned during a Labor Day wildfire that was fanned by high winds.Read More

Washington Lands Agency Seeks Big Funding Bill To Combat Increasingly Bigger Fire Seasons

By Courtney Flatt January 12, 2021

Washington Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, walking here with former Malden Mayor Chris Ferrell, is working with legislators to find more money for wildfire suppression and prevention. CREDIT: Doug Nadvornick/SPR

This marks the second year the state Department of Natural Resources has pushed for legislation to expand Washington’s firefighting efforts. This time DNR is seeking $125 million every two years, during a legislative session complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.Read More

Whitman County Fire-Ravaged Farming Town Of Malden In Limbo As It Awaits Aid To Rebuild

By NPR News November 25, 2020

Burned cars from a wildfire that destroyed most of the eastern Washington town of Malden on Labor Day. Kirk Siegler/NPR

After some politicking and tweeting — these are blue states, after all — California and Oregon's major disaster declarations were mostly quickly approved. But it's now been 71 days since Washington Gov. Jay Inslee petitioned the president, and there's been no response, not even a denial.Read More

In Dry Eastern Washington, Scientists Look To Rangeland Management To Address Catastrophic Fires

By Courtney Flatt November 6, 2020

In one experimental plot, many of the sagebrush in this Moses Coulee area of central Washington were burned to a crisp during the September 2020 Pearl Hill Fire. It can take decades for sagebrush to fully recover after an extremely intense wildfire. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

As Washington works to combat climate change, can rangelands be better managed to make wildfires less catastrophic? What are the most effective solutions to remove invasive grasses, like cheatgrass, which dries out quickly, burns extremely hot and helps fires jump from bunchgrass to bunchgrass?Read More

Across The West, Millions Of Homes Are At Risk Of Wildfires, But It’s Rarely Disclosed

By NPR News October 22, 2020

A real estate sign is seen in front of a burning home during the Carr Fire in Redding, Calif., in 2018. More than 1,600 buildings reportedly were destroyed. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Many homeowners who lost everything in a wildfire had no idea they were at risk. Only two states require disclosing wildfire risk to buyers in the house hunting process.Read More