Wildfires - News

Australia will develop a nationally consistent bushfire modeling and prediction capability under an agreement announced between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and AFAC, the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services. The partnership involves the development of Spark Operational, a cutting-edge bushfire simulation tool based on CSIRO’s ‘Spark’ fire prediction platform. Bushfire prediction opportunities Fire and emergency services agencies across Austr...

Innovate UK is backing a technology breakthrough that puts Pyreos and Tethir, along with their academic partners, Imperial College London and King’s College London, at the forefront of the fight against one of the carbon emitters; wildfires. The grant of £500k from Innovate UK supports the development of the first widely deployable ultra-low power fire warning system for power companies. Pyreos is a pioneer in the supply of integrated digital ezPyro™ SMD pyroelectric sensor su...

Steve Kleber, owner of EXTAN Distributors, the local representative of Intelagard, Inc. has requested that the company bring its resources to the Hales Corners Fire Department, under the supervision of Fire Chief, Pete Jaskulski, to demonstrate how to cost-effectively decontaminate a fireman's ‘turn-out gear’, after being exposed to a fire induced carcinogenic contamination. “We have been doing this for years around the world with great success,” said Intelagard’s...

Wildland firefighters are an elite group of men and women who have chosen a career in one of the most stressful, taxing, and dangerous jobs. Despite this, it’s one of the most rewarding and important jobs in the fire industry. To understand the life of a wildland firefighter one has only to look at their most important pieces of equipment. Option for putting out fires The Pulaski Axe and the McLeod tool are the bread and butter of the wildland firefighter The Pulaski Axe and the McLeod...

Safety boots have come a long way, in the last few years and the availability of choices in safety footwear now is staggering. Safety work boots can vary widely, in terms of quality and features. Safety boots When considering safety footwear, certainly one wants to consider the level of protection that these boots are going to provide them, in a given work environment. However, one also needs to take into consideration the features that they offer, with regards to comfort and overall foot heal...

With all residents of the US state of California worried about ‘wildfires’, fire protection is primarily on everyone’s mind right now. No home is totally fireproof. However, with the right precautions, one can help safeguard their home, belongings and family, in the event of a wildfire. Making homes wildfire-resistant Listed below are just a few ways to quickly increase a property’s resistance to fire damage: Install tempered glass, multi-pane windows and screens If...

Firefighting kit has a number of functions. It protects crew members in a wide range of situations and makes them instantly recognizable in an emergency. Replacing the firefighting kit at the right time keeps fire firefighters and rescue personnel safe and comfortable, no matter what the emergency. Call outs for firefighters  According to the UK Home Office, in the last year, 28 per cent of call-outs for firefighters and rescue staff involved responding to fires, 42 per cent of call outs...

PACCAR and Aurora have signed a global, strategic agreement to develop, test, and commercialize autonomous Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks. This collaboration will integrate PACCAR’s autonomous vehicle platform with the Aurora Driver software, in order to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of PACCAR’s customers. Autonomous-enabled vehicles In the strategic partnership, PACCAR provides autonomous-enabled vehicles with industry-renowned quality, durability and reliability, r...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had a successful year of research and development in the area of detecting and predicting the impact of wildfires and wildfire smoke. NOAA's Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) continues to improve its Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product with the latest fire and smoke monitoring methods and satellite data available. The product provides near real-time maps, fire data statistics, and data sets for mo...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest more than $46 million through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, and restore healthy forest ecosystems on public and private lands. Funding for 37 projects includes $13 million for eight new projects and $33.3 million to complete work on 29 projects previously selected in 2019 and 2020. Through the projects, USDA’s Forest Service (FS) and Natura...

Choosing the right fire suppression system can make all the difference in the protection of vital establishments and entities, including building, assets, and people. Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid The Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid is a clean agent fire extinguishant that was created as an alternative to hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and a halon replacement. Fire protection systems using the Novec 1230 fluid are assured that: Fluid is stored as a liquid but discharged as a gas. The system...

Firefighting boots need to protect from the inherent hazards that firefighting and rescue personnel encounter on the job. There are minimum NFPA standards that all firefighting boots have to meet, so as to ensure that happens. But, so much more can go into a fire boot that can take it beyond just the minimum. A firefighter has to do their job to the best of their ability and not be hampered by their gear. Not only do firefighters have to protect themselves from the heat and fire, and punctures...

Australian bushfires have stunned the world. Nature is at its full fury and humans are to be blamed for it. The flashes have been burning across Australia for months. Nearly 18 million acres of land mostly bushland, forests, and national parks that are home to the country's native wildlife have been turned into ashes.  The two crucial factors behind these disastrous fires are the prolonged dry spell that dried up the forest cover and converted the green reserve into ample fuel for the fire...

Australian bush fire has stunned the world. Nature is at its full fury and we humans are to be blamed for it. The flashes have been burning across Australia for months. Nearly 18 million acres of land mostly bush-land, forests, and national parks that are home to the country's native wildlife have been turned into ashes. The two crucial factors behind these disastrous fires are the prolonged dry spell that dried up the forest cover and converted the green reserve into ample fuel for fire to gro...

Avon Protection is pleased to announce they have received an order from The Netherlands for FM50 masks and FM61EU filters, under the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) contract. The Netherlands joins other NATO Nations and Partners, Norway, Belgium and Finland, in purchasing the FM50 to protect their militaries. FM50 masks ordered by The Netherlands Developed in conjunction with the United States of America’s Department of Defense, in order to counter the multiple CBRN threats...

For all the resilient men and women that work in the forestry industry, there needs to be a pair of logger work boots that are up to the task of handling all the tough terrain and hazardous materials that they are faced with. Also referred to as chainsaw safety boots, logger work boots help those in the forestry industry stay comfortable and protected from any potential foot injuries or punctures, utilizing a heavy-duty safety toe insert. Chainsaw safety boots/Logger work boots HAIX USA offe...

Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, the USDA Forest Service today announced it surpassed goals and set records in 2020.   "2020 was a challenging year, with record wildland fire activity and the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the Forest Service, we have risen above these challenges and set our minds, hands and hearts to carrying out our mission to meet the needs of the communities we serve," said Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen. The Forest Service relied on its strong science...

The USDA Forest Service seeks public input on two proposed directives that would address safety and reliability for powerline operations on national forests and grasslands. The proposed directives would implement provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill and amendments made in 2018 to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The proposed directives also align with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s direction to make national forests and grasslands healthier and more productive. The pr...

The dates for INTERSCHUTZ have been changed, with the event now taking place from June 20 to June 25, 2022. The decision to reschedule the world's renowned trade fair for the fire, rescue, civil protection and safety/security verticals was taken by Deutsche Messe, after a process of thorough deliberation and intensive discussion with key market players. INTERSCHUTZ In a context that has affected numerous other trade fairs and events taking place all over the world, the move was driven by the l...

2020 was a big year for Coopers Fire. The company has relocated its headquarters to a purpose-built, state-of-the-art new facility in Waterlooville, and reimagined its website for the next phase of Coopers Fire’s growth. The company has even managed to complete work on some exciting fire curtain installation projects. But 2020 will forever be remembered as the year of COVID-19 - the disease that spread around the world and brought life as everyone knows it to a complete standstill. As all...

What is the status of the operational fleet? Which vehicles are ready for operation? What condition are they in? Where are the vehicles now? What and how much operating and extinguishing agents (water, foam, etc.) do they have on board? RDS Connected Fleet RDS Connected Fleet provides this and all other information required to prepare for operations. Connected Fleet is the further development of the proven service for fire vehicle management system with new hardware, user interface and functio...

Rosenbauer presents a new forest firefighting vehicle. It meets both category 3 of EN 1846-2 for all-terrain firefighting vehicles and specific requirements for the protection of the vehicle crew, as defined for example in the French standard NFS 61-517 or NFS 61-518. This includes a thermal self-protection system and a driver's cab equipped with a rollover cell. With its compact dimensions, low center of gravity, and single tires, the all-wheel-drive vehicle is ideally suited for use in rough...

FireClear and Phos-Chek have teamed up to deliver a colorless, long-lasting fire retardant solution, Phos-Chek Wildfire Home Defense (Phos-Chek), the very same formulation that is dropped from planes to counter the raging fires caused by most American wildfires. Now, users can take advantage of Phos-Chek Wildfire Home Defense (the exact same formula used by the USDA Forest Service). It is environmentally friendly and safe for both pets and people. One application of Phos-Chek is that it can hel...

Apsana Begum, Labor MP for Poplar and Limehouse, has asked the UK Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government that “Whether he plans to provide funding for remedial work to buildings which do not comply with fire safety regulations but do not have problems relating to cladding.” Fire safety legislation The Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government) Christopher Pincher, Conservative MP for Tamworth, reminded building owners and premises manage...

Bristol Uniforms, a globally renowned designer and manufacturer of protective clothing for emergency services across the globe, has launched a brand new, state-of-the-art PPE design for structural firefighting, offering advanced protection to combat the new and emerging risks faced by modern day firefighters. EOS, PPE for structural fighting EOS, named after the Greek goddess of the dawn, builds on the success of Bristol’s XFlex and UK Collaborative Framework ranges, retaining the popula...

Global safety equipment manufacturer, MSA Safety Incorporated has announced that its next-generation Advantage 290 LS Air-Purifying Respirator (APR) is the first of its kind, designed without an exhalation valve, to receive approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Advantage 290 LS APR An elastomeric half-mask device, the Advantage 290 LS Respirator covers a wearer’s nose and mouth and utilizes twin filters to provide respiratory protection. The U....

The Lafayette City Police Department and an interagency task force joined a survey firm to deal with extensive damage caused by California wildfires that were raging in August and September. One of these, "the CZU lightning complex fire" caused a massive evacuation before destroying 86,509 acres (35,009 ha) and nearly 1500 structures across four communities and two state parks. To assess the worst-hit areas of this particular fire, a WingtraOne drone was used to collect aerial data used to gene...

A firefighter needs to evaporate about 1 liter of sweat per hour to be able to regulate the body temperature when exposed to extreme heat. The human body is designed to function within a very specific temperature range between 36.5 and 37.5 Celsius. However, fighting fires test these limits and can increase a firefighter’s body temperature to over 38 degrees. Selection Of PPE While there are many factors to consider to reduce the impact of heat stress on firefighters – such...

CU First Responders Finance (CUFR) is excited to welcome Firefighters First Credit Union as a lead lender to their business lending network. Firefighters First Credit Union will be originating commercial and business loans generated by the CUFR network of first responder credit unions. CUFR’s business lending solutions CUFR’s business lending solutions provide an online platform for member credit unions to refer their members’ business loan requests to a trusted lender. They...

Jactone is delighted to announce the recent appointment of the company’s Managing Director, Craig Halford to the position of Chair of the Fire Industry Association Extinguishing Council. In turn, the organization is also delighted that as a result of the appointment, Craig Halford assumes his position on the Fire Industry Association’s Board of Directors. Jactone is committed to the work of the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and is particularly interested in contributing to the dev...