Landscape Fire News Today

A fire manager making a decision may look like they’re in a position of power, but often they really have only one choice: to suppress the fire. If they d

Background: Individuals with asthma experienced severe and prolonged symptoms after the Australian 2019 to 2020 landscape fire. Many of these symptoms, such as throat irritation, occur in the upper airway. This suggests that laryngeal hypersensitivity contributes to persistent symptoms after smoke exposure. Objective: This study examined the relationship between laryngeal hypersensitivity and symptoms, asthma control, and health impacts on individuals exposed to landscape fire smoke. Method: The...

In connection with several large-scale landscape fires in East-Viru County in northeastern Estonia, a large part of the rescue resources of the Viru region is busy extinguishing them on Thursday.

Background: The 2019/2020 Australian landscape fires (bushfires) resulted in prolonged extreme air pollution; little is known about the effects on breastfeeding women and their infants. This study aimed to examine the impact of prolonged landscape fires on infant feeding methods and assess the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and elements in breast milk samples. Methods: From May – December 2020, women with asthma, who were feeding their infants during the fires, were r...

Background: Little is known about the physical and mental health impact of exposure to landscape fire smoke in women with asthma. This study examined the health impacts and information-seeking behaviours of women with asthma exposed to the 2019/2020 Australian fires, including women who were pregnant. Methods: Women with asthma were recruited from the Breathing for Life Trial in Australia. Following the landscape fire exposure period, self-reported data were collected regarding symptoms (respira...

Fire management agencies around the world use suppression firing for fire control. Yet, we know little about the extent of its use (e.g., prevalence and spatial coverage) and its impact on containment. We examine the prevalence and practice of suppression firing in Victoria, Australia. We used operational data from five years (2010–2015) to identify and map the incidence of suppression firing on 74 large fires (500+ ha). Suppression firing occurred on half (34) of these fires, 26 of which had ...

Oregon State University Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Central Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise, Oregon State University modeling suggests. Scientists including Meg Krawchuk of the OSU College of Forestry and former OSU research associate Ana Barros, now of the Washington Department of Natural Resources, say the findings can help local ...

From U.S. Geological Survey Wildland Fire Science Strategic Plan, 2021–26:$71-$246 BILLIONNet annual economic impact of wildland fire across the U.S.

Will Downing/OSU “Fire refugia” are areas that burn less frequently and/or less severely than the landscape around them. The most fire-resistant parts of vulnerable forests are crucial for supporting post-blaze ecosystem recovery. Suggested Event Jun 15, 2021 to Jun 17, 2021 Oregon State University researchers say “topographic templates” can help forest conservation managers develop strategies for protecting and restoring the most fire-resistant parts of vuln...