Coronado National Forest administrators have lifted fire restrictions ahead of the July 4 weekend but fireworks remain prohibited year-round.
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Advocates welcomed the announcement this week that pay for federal firefighters will increase by as much as $20,000 this year, what one official called a potentially “life-changing” step for the chronically underpaid crews. ... Read more»
The Contreras Fire has burned nearly 30,000 acres southwest of Tucson over the past week, with crews still working to protect Kitt Peak National Observatory and the blaze continuing in contained areas near the evacuated village of Pan Tak.... Read more»
The Contreras Fire has burned thousands more acres in rough terrain the past several days, and officials at Kitt Peak National Observatory say assessing any damage to scientific instruments will be a priority. The village of Pan Tak near the base of the mountain also remains evacuated.... Read more»
Firefighters in Pima and Coconino counties continue to battle three major wildfires raging across Arizona, and though monsoon rainfall could help firefighting efforts, the risks of runoff and flooding are high in areas downstream of the burn scar. ... Read more»
The U.S. Interior Department will create a health and wellbeing program for wildland firefighters and boost spending on firefighting efforts by $103 million in fiscal 2022, part of the infrastructure law signed by President Biden that’s meant to address wildfires.... Read more»
The Contreras Fire burned several structures atop Kitt Peak early Friday, and continued to advance through thousands of acres of rough terrain this weekend. Observatory officials have not yet been able to assess if any instruments were damaged, although scientific facilities appear intact.... Read more»
The Contreras Fire topped the summit of Kitt Peak early Friday morning and breached the main road, however fire crews were able to defend the observatory's buildings through the night.... Read more»1
The Contreras Fire burning along remote ridges in the Baboquivari Mountain range doubled in size Thursday, consuming nearly 6,000 more acres of grass and brush in steep and rugged terrain in the desert southwest of Tucson.... Read more»
As warm and windy conditions Tuesday were pushing the Pipeline Fire north of Flagstaff and other wildfires are burning across the state, fire prevention experts shared tips on simple ways to contribute to fire safety.... Read more»
Figuring out the connection between smoke inhalation and ill health is tricky - but a research team from the University of Georgia might have a lead after testing how fresh and aged smoke differentially exerted their toxic effects.... Read more»
Despite "red-flag" conditions Tuesday, firefighters were able to attack the Elgin Bridge Fire and established new containment lines keeping the wildfire from overrunning ranch houses and high-voltage power lines in the area southeast of Tucson.... Read more»
The West is a hotspot for lawsuits arguing that climate change-inducing policies are at odds with state constitutions, and young plaintiffs filing climate cases say states are infringing on their rights by boosting fossil fuel development and causing climate changes.
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Fueled by wind and dry vegetation, the Elgin Bridge Fire has consumed 4,000 acres of grasslands and chaparral south of Tucson, and crews are working to keep the wildfire from overrunning high-voltage power lines that supply electricity to Fort Huachuca and Sierra Vista.... Read more»
The ongoing drought appears to be the worst in 1,200 years, with hotter temperatures, smaller snowpack and an earlier start to the fire season - a glimpse at what climate change will bring to the Southwest and elsewhere.... Read more»
A 20-plus year drought – coupled with decades of fire-suppression policies and relentlessly rising temperatures – are behind much of the change in Arizona's forests, calling into question how forest health can be restored.... Read more»
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