Wildfires

State-guided regional planning is a new approach to identifying and reducing risks like flood and fire.

People who fly the drones over wildland fires could soon face criminal penalties under a bill gaining traction at the Legislature.

New research led by a University of Montana professor shows wildfires in the West are destroying more homes per square mile burned than in previous years. Fire ecologist Philip Higuera is the lead author on the publication and spoke with Montana Public Radio’s Austin Amestoy.

Montana’s fire season has wound down, and while it was milder than land managers predicted, data indicate continued drought and high temperatures could lead to more intense fire seasons in the years to come.

The complaint filed by Forest Service Employees For Environmental Ethics accuses the federal agency of violating the Clean Water Act by dropping fire retardant into water bodies during firefighting efforts.

Increases in wildfires and their intensity will likely expand the need for pulmonologists.

Stage 1 fire restrictions banning campfires and limiting outdoor smoking had been in place since late spring.

The fire preparedness level for the Northern Rockies region dropped this week.

Aerial attacks on the Mount Helena Fire were halted for 12 minutes Sunday afternoon after a drone was spotted on the scene.

Underground coal seams can burn unnoticed for years. They can also spark raging wildfires. Funding to extinguish them is limited, but a mapping effort is underway to plot the smoldering coordinates.