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Wildfires are killing California's ancient giants. Can seedlings save the species?

Lauren Sommer, Ryan Kellman

February 26, 2024 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, California

The United States National Park Service is planting giant sequoia tree seedlings in groves that were decimated by extreme wildfires in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The effort aims to preserve the endangered species as the organization doesn’t believe the trees in these areas will regenerate on their own.

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The all-women crew fighting Indonesia's peatland fires

Aseanty Levi

February 16, 2024 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, West Kalimantan, Borneo

The Power of Mama is an all-female firefighting unit that protects the health and livelihoods of the local community and environment by working with village authorities to educate local farmers on safe practices to prevent wildfires and preserve the ecosystem. The unit formed in 2022 with just 44 volunteers, but has since grown to 92 members aged 19 to 60 across six villages.

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In Oregon, a youth program prepares vulnerable landowners for wildfires

Nathan Wilk

February 07, 2024 |

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Dexter, Oregon

Oregon’s Community Wildfire Protection Corps pays young adults to remove overgrown brush to make fire-safe buffers around the homes of people who are older, disabled, or without financial means. At the same time, the youth who participate receive training for careers in wildland firefighting.

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Power of Mama: the women firefighters of West Borneo

Rita Utari

January 18, 2024 |

BBC |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Indonesia, Ketapang

An all-women firefighting team in Ketapang, Indonesia, is stopping people from setting fires to clear land, a practice called slash and burn, and putting out the fires they can’t prevent. Arsonists often set fire to peatlands, which pollutes the air and releases stored carbon dioxide.

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In the Scar of New Mexico's Largest Wildfire, a Legal Battle Is Brewing: What Is Victims' Suffering Worth?

Patrick Lohmann, Byard Duncan

January 04, 2024 |

ProPublica |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Mexico

New Mexico law would allow wildfire victims to seek compensation for noneconomic damages. But the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency said the federal law that established a compensation fund for a wildfire accidentally started by the U.S. Forest Service limits payments to tangible losses. Now, victims are suing the agency, claiming it improperly denied them compensation that they need to rebuild.

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A US pine species thrives when burnt. Southerners are rekindling a 'fire culture' to boost its range

James Pollard

December 15, 2023 |

Associated Press |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, West End, North Carolina

Community-led volunteer groups in the American Southeast are clearing undergrowth by lighting prescribed burns to prevent future forest fires and make space for longleaf pine trees to grow. Much of their work is done on private property, where state governments are cautious to send the burners they employ because of liability concerns.

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Colorado's latest tool to fight forest fires: Mushrooms

Michael Booth

October 26, 2023 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Gold Hill, Colorado

The Colorado-based mycology center Boulder Mushroom is spreading fungi mycelium — the underground, root-looking part of a mushroom — across forest floors that were thinned to mitigate wildfires. The mushrooms quicken the pace at which sawdust and other potential fire fuel decays and improve soil health.

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The goats fighting fires in Los Angeles

Lucy Sherriff

September 26, 2023 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Cities in California are turning to goat herders to manage the dead trees and shrubs that become fuel for wildfires. Goats will eat almost anything and are adept at getting to places humans find difficult to reach.

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How artificial intelligence plus local expertise can promote ‘good fire' in Montana

Bowman Leigh

September 21, 2023 |

Montana Free Press |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Montana

The Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) framework combines analytics and local expertise to assess fire risk by marking out locations on a map where fire can best be stopped. The risk is then used to identify where best to suppress the fire and where it can continue to burn to benefit the environment and prevent future fires. From there, experts decide how to respond to a fire in each section of the map in advance, which can also include prevention tactics.

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Episcopal mobile ministry distributes necessities to people displaced by Maui wildfires

Shireen Korkzan

August 15, 2023 |

Episcopal News Service |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Maui, Hawaii

A Cup of Cold Water is a volunteer collaboration between four local Episcopal churches that has been providing assistance to residents who lost their homes in the recent wildfires through the group’s community outreach program. Since a day after the wildfires started on August 8, volunteers have driven a van around the island to distribute supplies like toiletries, food, clothing, bottled water and other necessities.

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