Wildfire news covering active fires, containment efforts, evacuations, fire prevention, and wildfire season developments across the globe.
Spencer Pratt announced he is teaming up with Kenneth Bass, brother of LA Mayor Karen Bass, in lawsuits against the city over the Palisades Fire. Pratt and his wife Heidi Montag filed a separate suit on Jan. 21, 2025, while the Basses joined a class-action suit on May 18, 2026. Both lawsuits allege failure to maintain the Santa Ynez Reservoir. Mayor Bass faced backlash for being in Ghana when the fire started.
The commentary argues that the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which would expand hazardous tree removal authority on federal land, is a critical wildfire prevention measure that Oregon's senators should support. It contends that the alternative Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act fails to address the federal permitting bottleneck that exacerbates wildfire risk in Western forests.
A Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet jet from San Diego crashed near Mt Rainier in Washington state, sparking a wildfire that grew to 1.5 acres with no containment estimate. The pilot ejected safely with minor injuries. The cause is under investigation.
This commentary argues that the endangered pink cockatoo faces a severe threat from recent bushfires in Victoria, Australia, which destroyed much of its core habitat. The author contends that the species' reliance on ancient native pines for breeding, already scarce due to past fires and land clearing, makes its survival uncertain.
A record-breaking March heat wave melted mountain snowpack early, heightening fire risk in Northern California. Officials held a closed-door meeting in East Los Angeles to coordinate peak season response, urging residents to harden homes. A new state-federal prevention plan was unveiled despite drying funding sources.
This commentary argues that the Trump administration's proposed cuts to U.S. Forest Service research funding and reorganization threaten critical wildfire science, just as the Western U.S. faces a severe fire season. It contends that decades of institutional knowledge and real-time smoke monitoring tools developed by federal scientists are at risk, undermining public safety.
An independent report from MNP identified 'significant gaps' in Saskatchewan's wildfire preparation and response for the 2025 season, which burned 2.9 million hectares and forced 10,000 evacuations. The report made 11 recommendations, including hiring more full-time staff. Minister Michael Weger said the province will invest in implementing them but could not estimate the cost.