After a summer full of fluctuating temperatures, Northwest Montana has finally been handed its first serious fire of the year. The Copper King Fire began on Sunday, July 31st, just east of Thompson Falls, where it steadily built up to around 3,000 acres in size.… Read More

As more than 80,000 residents returned to Fort McMurray on Wednesday after a massive 1.2 million acre wildfire destroyed nearly 15% of the city last month, one thing is clear: The 2016 wildfire season has erupted across North America. In Washington, one of the states hit hardest last year, officials were hopeful for a mild season in 2016 as winter snow levels peaked at a normal level and offered what looked like a respite from another long year of wildfires.… Read More

As October arrives and fire season winds down across the country, fire danger continues to be a significant threat in California. Moisture in Southern California's vegetation is at a critically low level, and over 3,000 firefighters are still on the job battling eight wildfires across the state.… Read More

Firefighters in Northern California are once again battling massive fires, but this time, the blazes have burned with an intensity and pace unlike anything many veterans have ever seen. Southeast of the city of Sacramento, the Butte fire has burned over 71,000 acres since igniting on September 9th, destroying 135 residential homes to date and causing the evacuation of at least 10,000 people.… Read More

Firefighters in the northwest are finally getting a bit of relief as cool weather moves in from the pacific, bringing much needed rain to some regions. Crews on the Okanagan complex in central Washington report a quarter-inch of rain yesterday, which helped slow the progress of the fire and gave firefighters a window to hit the fire hard with air resources.… Read More

Air quality across the nation is now suffering from the intense wildfires burning throughout the Northwest. Washington, Idaho, and western Montana are particularly affected this week by the smoke emanating from fires in those areas, but the loss in air quality is by no means limited to those states.… Read More

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is now mobilizing firefighters from Australia and New Zealand to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in the western United States. Last mobilized in 2008, Australia and New Zealand firefighters have a long history of working with American firefighters in years when fire activity is the most severe.… Read More

After months of exceedingly hot, dry weather, fire activity in the Northwest corner of Montana has taken off in the past week. The Napoleon Complex began on August 19th in the Bull River drainage, just north of the town of Noxon along Highway 56.… Read More

For the first time in two years, the National Fire Preparedness Level has been raised to level 5 today. With large thunderstorms moving across the western U.S. in recent days with little to no moisture, hundreds of new fires have broken out, resulting in a major commitment of fire resources nation-wide.… Read More

Firefighters in the western United States have seen a new obstacle this season: Drones. Labeled "Hobby Drones" by officials, the unmanned vehicles that typically carry compact video cameras have exploded in popularity among amateur filmmakers over the past two years, and are now showing up in the dangerous perimeters of wildfires.… Read More