Latest Wildfire Headlines
All the headlines from our Wildfire Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Some Central Texans Returning to Homes in Fire-Ravaged Area
Oct 19 2015 // Firefighters in Central Texas are halfway to controlling a wildfire that’s destroyed dozens of homes, and authorities said on Oct. 17 that enough progress has been made to allow some residents to return to their...
40 Structures Burned so Far in Central Texas Fires
Oct 16 2015 // A wildfire that ignited this week in Texas’ Bastrop County has grown quickly, now encompassing more than 4,500 acres, according to county officials. The Hidden Pines fire has burned thousands of acres in and around...
2 Northern California Wildfires Caused Nearly $2B in Damage
Oct 16 2015 // An insurance company says two massive wildfires that burned up parts of Northern California did nearly $2 billion in damage, among the costliest blazes the Golden State has ever seen. The Sacramento Bee reports that a...
Climate Change Means Wildfire Seasons May Continue: Professor
Oct 15 2015 // The drought-plagued western U.S. has had more than its share of fires this year – but this may not be the last year that the nation sees so many wildfires gone wild. A Yale University professor looking back over the last...
Residents Evacuate as Wildfire Burns in Northwestern Louisiana
Oct 15 2015 // Authorities say a series of wildfires have burned more than two square miles in northwestern Louisiana and threatened homes. Louisiana State Police said in a statement that the fires started Tuesday afternoon in Bienville...
Update: Central Texas Wildfire Now Over 4,000 Acres
Oct 15 2015 // A Central Texas wildfire grew to more than 4,000 acres on Oct. 15, and at least 400 homes have been evacuated according to the Bastrop County Emergency Management Agency. The Texas A&M Forest Service had said the blaze...
Insurers in Massive California Fires Agree to Claim Handling Reforms
Oct 14 2015 // Insurers handling wildfire damage from the Valley and Butte wildfires last month in Northern California has agreed to a claims handling process to help fire victims begin their recovery more quickly, Insurance Commissioner...
Gains Made on Wyoming Wildfire That’s Destroyed Dozen-plus Structures
Oct 14 2015 // Wyoming State Forester Bill Crapser blames unseasonably dry weather with temperatures in the 70s and 80s for a destructive wildfire just outside Casper, which is practically unheard of at this time of year in the Cowboy...
California Wildfire Claims Top $1B as Peak Season Begins: Report
Oct 8 2015 // A report forecasts claims from two California wildfires last month will exceed $1 billion. Wildfires in 2015 have caused more damage and financial loss in the U.S. than in any other year since 2007, according to the...
Higher Temperatures, More Fires 1,000 Years Ago in Rockies, Study Shows
Oct 8 2015 // New research by scientists at the University of Wyoming has found that extreme wildfire seasons are nothing new in the Rocky Mountain region: They also happened hundreds of years ago, after global temperatures had risen...
Wyoming Man and His Insurers to Pay $2.9M for 2012 Wildfire
Oct 5 2015 // A man who accidentally started a 2012 wildfire that burned over a mountain and threatened the town of Jackson has agreed to a $2.9 million payment under a legal settlement. James G. Anderson Jr., 79, will be responsible...
Southern California City Unveils Mapping Tool for Wildfire Hazards
Oct 2 2015 // As fire season ramps up, San Diego County, Calif. has unveiled a new online interactive map that allows residents to search out wildfire dangers in specific areas. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported he digital tool...
Dispensaries Make Offer of Free Cannabis to California Fire Victims
Oct 1 2015 // Medical marijuana dispensaries in Northern California are offering up to $200 in free cannabis per patient affected by a hugely destructive wildfire. The Los Angeles Times reported the two companies are offering free...
California Draws $10M From Reserves to Remove Wildfire Debris
Sep 30 2015 // California Governor Jerry Brown last week directed $10 million from the state’s budget reserve to help pay for the removal of huge amounts of burned debris left in the wake of two massive wildfires, the...
Farmers Estimates $225M Loss from Northern California Fires
Sep 30 2015 // Farmers Insurance reported more than 1,300 claims filed, and an anticipated 1,800 total, with an estimated overall loss of roughly $225 million from two California wildfires that burned nearly 150,000 acres this month in...
California Gas and Electric Company Seeks to Split Costs on Uninsured Fire
Sep 28 2015 // San Diego Gas and Electric is seeking authority to bill its customers $379 million for legal settlement costs left over from 2007 wildfires that destroyed 1,300 homes and killed two people. In filings with state regulators...
California Blazes Destroy 2,000-plus Homes, Curb Insurer Appetites
Sep 23 2015 // A pair of massive California wildfires that have destroyed more than 2,000 structures are now considered among the most damaging fires in state history, and they could change the way insurers view risk or conduct...
Obama Declares Major Disaster in California Wildfire
Sep 23 2015 // President Barack Obama declared a major disaster Tuesday in a Northern California wildfire that has destroyed at least 1,200 homes and killed at least three people. The declaration issued for the fire that broke out in...
Californians Pushed by Wildfires into High-risk Insurance Market
Sep 21 2015 // There are lots of reasons people live in California’s Modjeska Canyon. Nestled against the mountains and abutting the Cleveland National Forest, the area has abundant wildlife and access to nature, yet is just a 20...
Wyoming Man And His Insurers to Pay $2.9M for 2012 Wildfire
Sep 21 2015 // A man who accidentally started a 2012 wildfire that burned over a mountain and threatened the town of Jackson has agreed to a $2.9 million payment under a legal settlement. James G. Anderson Jr., 79, will be responsible...
