Wildland - News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is investing in rural economies, reducing wildfire risk, and improving forest conditions by awarding $7.62 million in grants as part of the agency’s Wood Innovations Grant program.  Program opportunities  The Wood Innovations Grant program advances innovations in wood products that create jobs, revitalize local economies, and support sustainable forest land management. Thirty-five business, non-profit, university and tri...

For the first time, community wildfire risk has been mapped nationwide to help community leaders mitigate risk. The USDA Forest Service announced the free, interactive, easy-to-use website, Wildfire Risk to Communities. This website is designed to help community leaders nationwide understand how wildfire risk varies across a state, region, or county and allow them to prioritize actions to protect their communities. The Forest Service is leading the Wildfire Risk to Communities project...

Thanks to Anheuser-Busch, volunteer fire departments who respond to wildland fires can now apply for canned emergency drinking water through the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) for their immediate or upcoming wildfire response needs. Fighting Wildfires The Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program supports volunteer departments across the U.S. fighting wildfires throughout the year by helping provide critical hydration when it is needed most.  “We appreciate...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest more than $41 million this fiscal year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore healthy forest ecosystems on public and private lands. Funding for 36 projects includes $10.6 million for 16 new projects and $30.5 million to complete work on 20 projects previously selected in 2018 and 2019. Through the projects, USDA’s Forest Service (FS) and Na...

The new Turbo-Spritze 2090 from AWG Fittings has been specially developed for fighting forest and wildland fires. Capable of achieving outstanding water coverage, this highly portable solution is said to be the perfect piece of kit for call-outs. Portable firefighting solution The people tasked with saving lives and protecting valuable assets should be able to rely on their equipment and tools, especially as their own safety often depends on having fully functioning gear. AWG Fittings urges c...

Perimeter Solutions, a global pioneer in the production of fire retardants, foams, and water enhancing gels, along with a wide range of services for managing wildland, industrial, municipal, and military fires, announced the commercialization of PHOS-CHEK® Class A/B foam concentrate, a new fluorine free firefighting foam capable of extinguishing Class A and B fuel fires with a single product. Structural and industrial fires demand swift action and suppression. Too much is at stake with unco...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has received just shy of a million dollars in Fire Prevention and Safety Grant money from FEMA to develop a free public safety drone compliance program that includes educational training and a searchable knowledgebase that tracks fire service drone programs and usage. Fire departments have rapidly expanded the use of drones as more communities have realized the lifesaving impact that aerial technology can have in response to structural fires, wild...

MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up again to help volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed gear through MSA’s Globe Gear Giveaway. This annual program began in 2012 and has provided 255 sets of gear to 45 departments to date. In 2019, another 13 departments will each receive four new sets of gear. The first 500 applicants also received a one-year NVFC membership, courtesy of MSA. The first two recipients of the MSA’s 2019 Globe Gear Giveaw...

The undergrowth fire on the Lydd Ranges is now fully extinguished after three days of firefighting. On July 26, 2019, the emergency phase of the incident led by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) officially came to a close after all firefighting operations were completed. Duty of care has now been handed back to the land owner. Lee Rose, Assistant Director Channel Tunnel and Resilience at KFRS, said: “On behalf of the service and all other agencies that have been involved throughout the...

Firefighters have issued a summer heat safety plea following several incidents cornfields, grass and crop fires in Kent that have been linked to the hot and dry weather the county is currently experiencing. Countering wildfire incidents Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) deals frequently with rural fires, but during periods of hot and dry weather, incidents on grassland have the potential to become much bigger wildfires. Last year (2018), KFRS responded to almost 700 grassfires, and so far, t...

A program of free CPD seminars focusing on the lessons learnt from frontline operations will run at The Emergency Services Show 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham on 18 and 19 September. The Lessons Learnt Theatre, sponsored by UCLan, will feature case studies of major incidents including the Salisbury nerve agent incident, the recent wildfires on Winter Hill in Lancashire and the Ocado warehouse fire in Hampshire. Experts from across the emergency services community will detail findings from current...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) held its 2019 annual conference in Edmonton, Alberta June 8-14. More than 110 Metro chiefs from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the conference and elected the Association’s 2019-2020 officers and board members. The officers are: Chi...

Anheuser-Busch will deliver approximately 300,000 cans of emergency drinking water to 26 of the country’s volunteer fire departments, in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), to provide critical hydration to first responders in advance of wildfire season. Anheuser-Busch announced the expansion of its 30-year-old emergency drinking water program in April, and has committed to donating one million cans of clean drinking water in support of volunteer fire departments i...

Oliver Holmes, Sr. once said, “It is the province of knowledge to speak and the privilege of wisdom to listen.” Each year, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) conducts the National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium and Dinner program to provide opportunities for fire service leaders across the nation to both speak and listen. And, it was for this reason that the theme selected is ‘Exchanging Knowledge to Advance Our Mission’. There is much to learn about...

FLIR Systems, Inc. announced the FLIR K1 handheld thermal imaging camera (TIC), FLIR’s most affordable TIC for first responder officers and fire investigators. At $599, the K1 detects heat and provides visibility through smoke and in total darkness to enhance situational awareness for use in wildland fire control, search and rescue missions, structure damage evaluation, and investigative work. “FLIR is committed to providing first responders with lifesaving technology and solutions...

Wildfires across the United States have taken more than 100 lives and cost more than $25 billion in property losses in the last two years. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm are helping communities take steps toward safety with their national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (Preparedness Day) event on Saturday, May 4, 2019. Preparedness Day serves as an opportunity for residents to participate in wildfire safety activities. Thanks to the generous support from Sta...

The Wildfire Mitigation Awards committee has named the seven recipients of this year's Wildfire Mitigation Awards. These individuals and organizations have earned the highest commendation for innovation and leadership in wildfire mitigation for their outstanding dedication to solving many of the most complex challenges posed by wildfire. Established in 2014 and co-sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the National F...

KIMTEK Corp, makers of MEDLITE® and FIRELITE® Transport skid units for off-road rescue and wildland firefighting, have announced plans to celebrate the company's 35th anniversary with a number of events planned throughout 2019. KIMTEK Transport skid units fit easily into most utility vehicles and pick-up trucks, enabling first responders to travel over rough terrain and through tight clearances with essential fire and/or medical rescue equipment and attendants. Markets have re...

When a large-scale emergency strikes, inter-agency collaboration is key to a coordinated response across cities and provinces. With Motorola Solutions’ cloud-based Critical Connect, Canadian public safety agencies can quickly connect their ASTRO 25 land mobile radio (LMR) systems to communicate with each other. Using Critical Connect, public safety agencies from different areas have the ability to connect securely to each other in minutes, regardless if it is two or 20 agencies at once. T...

Reducing fuel for fires around vulnerable homes. Meeting and talking with firefighters about community preparedness plans. Helping seniors with home improvement projects to resist embers. All of these activities and more are anticipated as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm® announce the launch of the project funding awards application period for its sixth national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 4, 2019, which helps communities prepare for an...

KIMTEK Corp recently announced that its MEDLITE® and FIRELITE® slide-in transport skid units are compatible with Mahindra mPACT and Retriever 750 and 1000 Long Bed and Flexhauler utility vehicles. Available in gas and diesel models, Mahindra mPACT and Retriever utility vehicles are known for versatility and an exclusive cargo box design that holds up to 1,200 lb, ideal for supporting KIMTEK's entire line of UTV transport skid units designed specifically for off-road medical and fire res...

Globe, DuPont Protection Solutions (DuPont), and the National Volunteer Fire Council teamed up once again in 2018 to distribute 52 sets of turnout gear to 13 volunteer or mostly-volunteer fire departments. This annual program began in 2012 to provide departments in need with new turnouts to better protect their personnel. Shinbone Valley Fire and Rescue (Delta, AL) and the Barnsdall (OK) Rural Fire Department are the final 2018 gear recipients. Shinbone Valley Fire and Rescue has 16 volunteer f...

Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, assisted from the air in the firefight against the Camp Fire in Northern California, now deemed the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in California's history. "Our hearts go out to all of those affected by the terrible Camp Fire tragedy," said Esina Alic, Insitu President and CEO. "We are honored to have had the opportunity to help with fire suppression efforts using our ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and INEXA suite of informa...

As wildfire disasters increase across the country, a new study found negligible cost differences between building a typical home and a home constructed using wildfire-resistant materials and design features. "We know from post-fire assessments, accompanied by laboratory experiments, that two factors drive home vulnerability in wildfires: how the home is built in terms of materials used and installation details and the landscaping on the property," said Dr. Steve Quarles, Chief Scientist for Wil...

Globe, DuPont Protection Solutions (DuPont), and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have been working together since 2012 to provide new, state-of-the-art turnout gear to volunteer fire departments in need through the Globe Gear Giveaway program. In 2018, 52 sets of gear will be awarded to 13 departments to help better protect their responders. Providence (NC) Fire & Rescue and the Strong Volunteer Fire Company (Mount Carmel Township, PA) are the latest gear recipients. Providence F...

CoreLogic, a global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, released updated data analysis showing 23,044 homes with a total reconstruction cost value (RCV) of approximately $8.6 billion are at high or extreme risk of wildfire damage within the perimeters of the Camp Fire in Northern California and the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. Due to the increased containment of these two wildfires, CoreLogic has revised the area of analysis from ZIP code regions to the...

A new report by USDA Forest Service researchers provides science-based information to help decision-makers, practitioners, and researchers to promote the sustainable harvest of non-timber forest products. The Assessment of Non-timber Forest Products in the United States under Changing Conditions synthesizes the best available science for managing non-timber forest resources in the U.S. “Many private landowners harvest non-timber products to generate income from their forests,&rd...

Every year the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Standards Council recognizes individuals for outstanding service to the organization in the development of codes and standards. Awards will be presented to 17 individuals at the NFPA Conference & Expo taking place in Las Vegas. 2018 Recipients for Special Achievement Award. Russell B. Leavitt Telgian Corporation, Phoenix, Arizona Automatic Sprinkler Systems Technical Committees on: Sprinkler System Installati...

Task Force Tips has announced introducing the latest 1” version of its popular G-Force Series nozzles. The G-Force line of high quality, economical family of firefighting nozzles are based upon a customizable platform design of fixed, selectable, and automatic nozzles. G-Force Series nozzles G-Force combines 50 years of Task Force Tips design innovation and experience into true next generation firefighting tools and are manufactured exclusively at Task Force Tip’s production facili...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest nearly $32 million to mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality and restore healthy forest ecosystems in 24 states and Puerto Rico. Since 2014, USDA has invested $176 million in 56 Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Projects, which focus on areas where public forests and grasslands intersect with privately-owned lands. "Through Joint Chiefs, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with agricultural...