Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wildfire Destroys 100-Plus Colorado Homes, Other Blazes Burning in West
Jul 3 2018 // More than 100 homes in the Colorado mountains were destroyed by a growing wildfire, while hundreds of others across the parched U.S. West remained under evacuations Tuesday. A fire near Fort Garland, roughly 200 miles...
Winds Fan Fast-Moving Northern California Wildfire
Jul 3 2018 // A massive wildfire in rural Northern California has grown in size and has forced evacuations. The fast-moving fire that started over the weekend northwest of Sacramento grew dramatically to about 150 square miles by Monday...
Fear of Wildfires Leads to July Fourth Fireworks Cancellations
Jul 3 2018 // Fire danger across much of the country has prompted cancellation of July 4 fireworks displays. In northern Arizona, Prescott’s fire chief says he’s canceling the town’s Fourth of July fireworks show as...
Kansas Wildfire Efforts Inadequate, Audit Finds
Jul 2 2018 // An audit has found that Kansas doesn’t have money to devote to wildfires and its fire-fighting efforts are inadequate. In Kansas, local government has first responsibility for fighting fires and often have to cover...
California Commissioner Angry at Insurers for Altering Wildfire Bills
Jun 28 2018 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is irked that the insurance industry has worked to alter legislation he supports that he says is aimed at strengthening consumer protections for wildfire survivors. Senate Bill...
Disaster Declaration Approved for Oklahoma Spring Fires
Jun 27 2018 // President Donald Trump has approved Oklahoma’s request for a disaster designation after wildfires scorched western parts of the state in the spring. Trump approved the declaration Monday and ordered federal...
Dozens of Homes in North Florida Damaged by Wildfire
Jun 27 2018 // A fast-moving wildfire damaged or destroyed dozens of homes in a Florida county. Gov. Rick Scott visited the small coastal community of Eastpoint on Monday to get an update on the damage. Eastpoint is in Franklin County...
Northern California Wildfires Flare up in Heat, High Winds
Jun 26 2018 // Thousands fled their homes as major wildfires encroached on a charred area of Northern California still recovering from severe blazes in recent years, sparking concern the state may be in for another destructive series of...
Legislative Audit: Kansas Wildfire Response Underfunded, Understaffed
Jun 21 2018 // A legislative audit says Kansas’ wildfire suppression system is underfunded and understaffed and operates with a fragmented leadership. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the audit was ordered after wildfires in 2016...
Hurricane-Proof Home Building Available But Pricey, Slow to Be Adopted
Jun 20 2018 // In a private waterfront resort on the northern tip of Key Largo, nestled between tropical forest and the Caribbean, Eric Soulavy is marketing luxury for the age of climate change: Coastal homes that are all but hurricane...
California Wildfire Survivor Bills Pass Senate Committee
Jun 15 2018 // Four bills sponsored by the California Department of Insurance that the department believes will strengthen consumer protections for wildfire survivors have passed the Senate Insurance Committee with unanimous, bipartisan...
New Wildfire Erupts Near Ski Resorts, Houses in Colorado
Jun 14 2018 // A wildfire erupted Tuesday in an area of Colorado known for its ski resorts, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,300 homes and marking the latest in a series of blazes that have ignited in the drought-stricken U.S....
Downed Power Lines Sparked Deadly California Fires, Investigation Shows
Jun 11 2018 // A dozen wildfires that burned thousands of homes in California’s wine country and killed at least 15 people last October were started by Pacific Gas & Electric power lines and utility poles, state fire officials...
California Legislators Said to Consider Wildfire Relief Fund to Help Utilities
Jun 4 2018 // California lawmakers are said to be considering a proposal to help utilities shoulder billions of dollars in potential liability costs while offering relief to wildfire victims by setting up a compensation fund that would...
Survivors of Deadly Tennessee Wildfires Seek $14.8M from Feds in Lawsuit
May 30 2018 // Two survivors of deadly Tennessee wildfires that began in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have sued the federal government, claiming they lost loved ones and a home because of the negligence of park workers. The...
Report Blames PG&E Power Lines for 4 of Northern California Wildfires
May 28 2018 // PG&E Corp.’s equipment was responsible for causing four of the smaller wildfires that tore through Northern California last year, according to the first report issued by state investigators. The fires in Butte...
PG&E Judge Won’t Rule Out California Fire Cost Claim
May 21 2018 // PG&E Corp. suffered another legal setback with a judge saying he won’t release the company from a key legal claim over the most destructive wildfires in California history. PG&E has been challenging a...
Agent’s California Senate Bid Driven by Need for Better Representation
May 14 2018 // Tom Pratt, an insurance agent who specializes in procuring fine art coverage in a rural Northern California community, has worked in the insurance industry for more than 20 years. By day he is an insurance agent. In his...
Wildfire Damage to Oklahoma Farms, Ranches Estimated at $26M
May 14 2018 // A report from Oklahoma State University says wildfires that scorched western and northwestern parts of the state and killed two in April caused an estimated $26 million in damage to livestock, pastures, fences and...
US Disaster Assistance OK’d for County After Oklahoma Wildfires
May 7 2018 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says home and business owners in Dewey County who sustained uninsured damage from wildfires can now receive disaster assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Fallin says the...
