Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Evacuations Continue in Georgia Wildfire Zone But Many Defy Orders
May 10 2017 // Jessica Boldin and her family evacuated 15 horses, six dogs and other animals from their ranch in rural Georgia as a vast wildfire emerging from the Okefenokee Swamp blackened trees behind their home. Flames that pushed...
Florida Ag Commissioner Says ‘No End in Sight’ as Wildfires Burn Statewide
May 10 2017 // Three schools canceled classes due to smoky conditions from a nearby wildfire as Florida’s agriculture commissioner said the state is in the “midst of its worst wildfire season in years – with no end in...
Arsonists Blamed for 320 Florida Wildfires in 2017
May 9 2017 // Florida officials say arsonists have ignited about 320 wildfires so far this year, burning more than 20,000 acres across the state. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said severe drought conditions have increased the...
Dozens Forced to Evacuate in Southern Georgia as Wildfire Spreads
May 8 2017 // Several dozen people in Georgia’s southernmost county have been evacuated after a wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp has begun to burn just a few miles from the St. George community. Saturday’s evacuation...
California’s Sherpa Wildfire Was Accidental, Authorities Say
May 4 2017 // Authorities say a fire that blazed through miles of California coast last summer was sparked by a man trying to douse a burning log. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department said this week that the Sherpa Fire last June...
Feds to Use Fires to Lower Washington Wildfire Risks
May 1 2017 // To reduce the risks of wildfires, federal officials this spring are planning to conduct controlled burns on more than 9,000 acres of land in Washington state forests. The Seattle Times reported the fires planned in the...
Regulators in California Hit PG&E with $8.3M Fine for Deadly Wildfire
Apr 27 2017 // Regulators say they have fined Pacific Gas and Electric Co. $8.3 million for failing to maintain a power line that sparked a massive blaze in Northern California that destroyed 549 homes and killed two people. The...
Official Says Georgia Wildfire Could Go On For 6 Months
Apr 26 2017 // A wildfire in Georgia that has scorched more than 70 square miles (180 square kilometers) of public lands near the Georgia-Florida state line could burn for the next six months unless heavy rains snuff out the flames...
Feds Will Use Fires to Lower Washington Wildfire Risks
Apr 24 2017 // To reduce the risks of wildfires, federal officials this spring are planning to conduct controlled burns on more than 9,000 acres of land in Washington state forests. The Seattle Times reported the fires planned in the...
Officials Warn of Possible Evacuations in Georgia as Okefenokee Wildfire Spreads
Apr 19 2017 // Georgia residents on the western edge of the Okefenokee Swamp have been warned to prepare for potential evacuations from an approaching wildfire that has burned more than 30 square miles (80 square kilometers) of public...
Florida Wildfires Burn More Than 126K Acres So Far in 2017
Apr 19 2017 // At least 126,000 acres have burned in wildfires across Florida since January, surpassing the five-year average of acreage burned in a typical year, officials said. Florida’s fire season peaks this month, during the...
Average to Below-Average Wildfire Season Expected for Colorado
Apr 17 2017 // Colorado is in store for an average to slightly below-average wildfire season this year, despite dry conditions and early outbreaks on the eastern plains, officials said. “But the fires will occur,” said...
Caution Urged as Wildfire Season Starts in New Jersey
Apr 17 2017 // The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is urging residents to be cautious as the spring wildfire season starts in the state. The agency says this year’s season is starting a little earlier than usual because winter...
Arson Wildfires in Florida Up Nearly 70%
Apr 17 2017 // Florida officials say the number of arson wildfires has increased nearly 70 percent compared to last year. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Friday there have been more than 240 separate arson wildfires so far this...
This Year Already One of Oklahoma’s Most Active for Wildfires
Apr 17 2017 // Oklahoma Forestry Services officials say 2017 is already among the most active years on record for wildfires. The agency has responded to more than 800 wildfires so far that resulted in more than 450,000 acres of burnt...
Aon: Insured Losses Likely to Exceed $2B from March Storms, Wildfires
Apr 17 2017 // Severe weather in March led to significant damage in the central and eastern United States, racking up more than $2 billion in insured losses, according to a report published by Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s...
Wildfire in Georgia Wildlife Refuge Grows to 6,000 Acres, Spares Communities
Apr 13 2017 // A wildfire sparked by lightning in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is spreading through government-owned swamp and forestland, having burned more than 9 square miles (23.3 square km) near the Georgia-Florida state...
Florida Gov Declares Emergency As More Than 100 Wildfires Burn Across State
Apr 12 2017 // The Florida Forest Service says more than 100 active wildfires are burning across the state right now. The Tampa Bay Times reports 25 of them are scorching more than 100 acres each. Since February, wildfires have swept...
This Year Already Among Oklahoma’s Most Active for Wildfires
Apr 5 2017 // Oklahoma Forestry Services officials say 2017 is already among the most active years on record for wildfires. The agency has responded to more than 800 wildfires so far that resulted in more than 450,000 acres of burnt...
USDA OKs Emergency Loans for Oklahoma Ranchers Affected by Wildfires
Apr 4 2017 // Gov. Mary Fallin says the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved emergency loans for livestock producers in six Oklahoma counties affected by recent wildfires. The fires in early March burned more than 1,200 square...
