wildfires
Monday numbers: the 5th National Climate Assessment, NC drought and wildfires
The last time the rain gauge at Asheville Regional Airport collected much more than a teardrop prior to last Tuesday was three months ago, on Aug. 27, when 1.06 inches of rain fell. In the interim, this mountain town was as dry as sand, federal weather data show, and is nearly 11 inches short of […]
Wildfires consume 2,100 acres of drought-stricken areas in NC mountains, prompting air quality alerts
A Code Red air quality alert has been issued for several southwestern counties of North Carolina because of smoke from wildfires that have burned more than 2,100 acres in the mountains. Drought-stricken Cherokee, Clay and Macon counties are under a Code Red — meaning the air is unhealthy for everyone, according to the N.C. Department […]
Towns could save themselves from wildfire — if they knew about this money
PACKWOOD, Wash. — Last year, Don Pratt fled from his home as a wildfire swept down the mountainside here in Washington’s Cascade Range. “Heading out, I thought it was the last time I was going to see the house,” he said. As residents evacuated and smoke engulfed the small mountain community, fire crews with bulldozers […]
FEMA’s disaster relief fund is running low on cash. What happens now?
WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is in desperate need of cash, with the agency projecting at least a $4 billion deficit in the weeks ahead — even as the government responds to devastating fires in Hawaii and hurricane season continues. FEMA, however, won’t simply stop the response and recovery activities […]
Biden asks Congress for $40B for Ukraine aid, U.S. disaster response, border security
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve more than $40 billion in additional spending for Ukraine, border security, FEMA’s disaster response and wildland firefighters pay. The supplemental spending request comes in the middle of Congress’ annual August recess, giving lawmakers weeks to mull over the proposal for additional spending before returning to […]
Workers lack protections when wildfire smoke makes the air dangerous
Millions of American workers have breathed in dangerous levels of air pollution this year as smoke from Canada’s record wildfire season blankets cities across the Northeast. Now experts are calling on federal regulators to adopt standards protecting outdoor workers from worsening air quality, potentially modeled after the few states that have such standards, including California […]
Summer wildfire threat could imperil unexpected US regions: the Northeast and Midwest
WASHINGTON — In a summer of drought, smoke and haze, wildfires could flare up in unusual locations in the United States over the next few months — including New England and the Midwest, according to federal forecasters. “The predominant threat looks to be the Northeast, which is not normal,” said Jim Karels, the fire director […]
On a record day in D.C. for smoke pollution, U.S. Senate panel debates wildfire strategy
As smoke from Canadian wildfires caused the most hazardous air conditions on record in the Washington, D.C., area on Thursday, members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said that Congress should lift federal firefighter pay and encourage logging to reduce the risk of future blazes. “Smoke from the wildfires burning right now […]
In the hot seat: Development, climate leads to increased risk of wildfires near NC cities and suburbs
More than 2.1 million homes in North Carolina lie within the “wildland urban interface” — populated areas on the fringe of forests, scrub and other vegetation — and are at a greater risk of wildfires because of development patterns and climate change, according to a new national report by Climate Central, a science-based nonprofit organization. […]
Feds to send nearly $200 million to help communities prepare for wildfires
The Biden administration will send $197 million from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to help communities prepare for wildfires this summer, Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials said Monday. The funding represents the first round of a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program authorized under the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that […]
Biden administration details potential cuts in education, food aid and more under GOP plan
WASHINGTON — Federal departments and agencies say U.S. House Republicans’ plans to cut federal spending would result in reductions to key programs like food aid, education assistance and wildfire management. The series of letters from across the federal government released Monday detail exactly how plans to cut at least $130 billion in domestic spending during […]
More federal dollars coming from climate law for Western wildfire management
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend nearly $500 million on projects to reduce wildfire risk in 11 areas in Western states, the department said Thursday. The new funding, $490 million, comes from Democrats’ budget, climate and taxes law that passed last year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a call with reporters. The funding […]