Wildfires - News

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors have introduced the latest video interview in their six-part campaign series, Faces of Fire/Electrical hazard awareness campaign, which features personal stories of people impacted by electrical incidents, demonstrating the need for continued education and awareness about electrical hazards in the workplace and at home. Firefighter safety Awareness Luis Nevarez, Fire Chief in the City of Tulare Fire Depa...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned provider for smart and sustainable building solutions, is reimagining fire safety with the launch of its Smart Connected Fire Sprinkler Monitoring solution. As part of Johnson Controls’ OpenBlue suite of digital solutions, this industry-first solution delivers real-time insights into fire sprinkler system health to enable swift preventative action. The solution empowers building managers to transform their maintenance strategies from reactive to pro...

Effective November 1, 2020, Robert (Bob) Caputo became the new President of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). Bob is a sprinkler industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience, ranging from owning a fire sprinkler installation company in San Diego, California to teaching technical seminars for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Fire sprinkler industry veteran Bob most recently served as Vice President for training and technical support for Fire & Life Sa...

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) released the 2020 NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications (PMS 310-1). NWCG positions enable consistent and uniform performance by personnel mobilized under National Incident Management System - Incident Command System principles (NIMS-ICS). The NWCG Position Catalog provides comprehensive information about each position for which the NWCG establishes qualifications standards. Agency-specific positions, such as those located in th...

The latest two winners have been announced in MSA Safety Incorporated’s and DuPont’s 2020 Globe Gear Giveaway. Douglas City (CA) Volunteer Fire Department and Cooper Landing (AK) Emergency Services will each receive four sets of state-of-the-art turnout gear and four helmets to increase the safety of their members. Providing turnout gear MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) team up each year to help volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed gear. With the...

Ponsse (Ponsse Oyj) has announced the release of firefighting equipment to be installed in the load spaces of forwarders for extinguishing wildfires efficiently. “Forest machine is the most natural and effective way to access a forest fire area. Operations in difficult terrain come as second nature to them, and they have more than enough capacity in their hydraulic system for demanding conditions,” said Juha Haverinen, Ponsse's Product Manager of forwarders. Firefighting equipment&...

A man from Sheffield, who set himself on fire when using petrol on his seemingly unlit garden fire, is urging people not to follow in his footsteps and make the same mistake. Paul Wyatt, 50, was burning hedge trimmings in his garden earlier this year. He put paper on the bottom and hedge trimmings on top, before adding a match, which didn’t light the fire. He decided to apply a drop of petrol, planning to step back and throw a match on. Unbeknown to him, the original match was still smold...

Spartan Emergency Response, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc., and foremost manufacturer of fire apparatus announced that REV Technical Center (RTC) will sell and service the full portfolio of Spartan ER fire apparatus including aerials, pumpers, rescues, tankers, and wildland units throughout Florida. REV Group Brands Headquartered in Ocala, FL, RTC also represents fellow REV Group brands for fire apparatus and ambulances. The experienced sales team works closely with customers to determine the...

Completely modular! This is the quintessence of a customized firefighting vehicle. In the new MT model range unveiled by Rosenbauer International AG, they have become a reality. With its Modular Technology, Rosenbauer manufactures vehicles for municipalities, industry, and airports, precisely in line with the fire departments' tactical needs and their specific requirements. Customizable firefighting vehicles The vehicles are highly customizable. They can be mounted on 2, 3 and 4-axle serial ch...

Two-day indoor and outdoor press event in Ulm with innovations, world firsts and surprising news: Presentation of the FireBull tracked fire engine in cooperation with Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, expansion of the AirCore fire-fighting technology with the TLF AirCore and AirCore TAF60 and partnerships for the future. At the press conference in Ulm on 24th and 25th September 2020, Magirus demonstrates its comprehensive expertise and many years of know-how, especially in the field of o...

For the honor of wildland firefighters who risk it all to protect the forests and natural resources. KIMTEK is proud to introduce the Ford Motor Company Bronco-Filson Wild Fire Vehicle which features the KIMTEK FIRELITE® Fire Rescue skid unit that includes a Darley-Davey Pump, Hannay Reel, and Mercedes Boostlite Forestry Hose.  KIMTEK is excited about this collaboration between Ford, Filson and KIMTEK and more excited to see the formation of the Bronco Wild Fund to celebrate wildland f...

Safe Fleet Fire, EMS, and Industrial Group (FRC, FoamPro, Elkhart Brass, ROM) is excited to announce the addition of Jeffrey Benker as Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager. In his new role, Jeffrey will be responsible for supporting established Fire & EMS customers and expanding the presence through distribution channel development in the Mid-Atlantic territory which includes: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Jeffrey joins Safe Fleet with an extensive fire...

If users are planning to have a bonfire at any time, but particularly during this firework period, please follow some simple safety guides to help users, their families, pets, and wildlife stay safe. Building bonfire Build bonfires well away from, and clear of, buildings, garden sheds, fences, hedges, and overhanging branches. Keep it to a manageable size and evenly built, so that it collapses inwards as it burns. Do not include plastics, household items, or rubber in the fire. Lighting...

A traumatic event like a wildfire can have devastating effects on the community. Pre-fire planning including home hardening and landscape maintenance at the home and in the community can help reduce the risk of loss from wildfire and help neighborhoods and cities be more resilient after a wildfire. pre-fire planning Communities that complete pre-fire planning usually recovers more quickly because they have developed support networks. The recovery process may take many years. Al...

South Yorkshire’s emergency services are urging people to be sensible and stay safe over the coming weeks, during what they say will be a ‘very different’ bonfire period for everyone. Trick or treating is being discouraged, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as are Halloween and bonfire parties that break the current social distancing rules set out by the Government. Operation Dark Nights Meanwhile, firefighters are asking people to take extra care with fireworks and to avoi...

InciWeb is an interactive mapping resource available from the U.S. Forest Service to show where wildfires are burning in areas close to a location, allowing users to better prepare their community for wildfire safety. It is a trusted reporting tool for public affairs specialists and a single source of incident-related information for the public. Official announcements include evacuations, road closures, news releases, maps, photographs, and basic information on an incident. web-based program...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is joining forces with local authority partners and emergency services, in order to help keep people safe in the upcoming bonfire and fireworks season. With many organized events canceled across the county, emergency services are preparing for a busier night than usual. There is an emerging concern that more people will plan displays and bonfires to celebrate in their own gardens, which could pose significant risk for the people. Safety measures for Bonfi...

REV Fire Group, the manufacturer of pioneering fire apparatus brands including E-ONE®, KME®, Ferrara®, and Spartan Emergency Response®, announces the creation of its Dealer Development organization, a new area of focus within the group.  Company Profile & Sustainable Growth Stephen Carleton, previously Director of Sales for Spartan Emergency Response, will lead the team as Director of Dealer Development and report to Mike Virnig, REV Fire Group’s Vice President o...

Dealing with megatrends is equated time and again with trying to predict the future - one might wish for that often, but only to a very limited extent. Megatrends are nothing more than a summary of developments and currents that have shaped us as a society in many situations in the recent past - economy, politics, technology, culture and many others - and that are slowly but fundamentally changing the world - like this also the fire service world! Blue light organizations The fire brigade tre...

For obvious health safety reasons owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic spread, the organizers and partners of the world’s renowned trade fair for fire and rescue services, civil protection, safety and security, Interschutz have decided to postpone the appointment made in June 2020 for the event to be held to June 2021. Interschutz Indeed, the health crisis, which directly affects both exhibitors and visitors, forces them to make themselves available at other sites and does not allow gat...

In their second year of partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), Anheuser-Busch has committed to donating more than 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water in 2020 to volunteer fire departments across the country as they navigate unprecedented challenges. Summer Deliveries Over the summer, the first wave of deliveries totaling more than one million cans were delivered to 150 fire departments across 38 states to help ensure local volunteer fire departments had the resou...

Over one million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped this fire season by military aerial firefighting units such as the ‘High Rollers’ of the Nevada Air National Guard and the support continues. “It’s very rewarding knowing you are helping so many people,” said Tech. Sgt. Paul Teska, a MAFFS flight engineer with the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard. Teska is also a former wildland firefighter. Fire Fighting Systems “I remember being on...

The innovative, all-terrain tank pumper with the efficient AirCore extinguishing turbine mounted on a lifting device opens up new, previously unavailable possibilities for effective forest and surface fire-fighting. Premiere for the TLF AirCore: For the first time, Magirus presents the new turbine-aided fire-fighting vehicle to representatives of the press, partners and invited guests on 24 and 25 September 2020. After the unveiling, the new vehicle was shown directly in action on the plant's ow...

Launch of the one of world's first production-ready tracked fire engine The Magirus FireBull combines efficient AirCore extinguishing technology, flexible superstructure options and the all-terrain PowerBully chassis from Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG to form a fully developed solution for use in vegetation fires. On the second day of this year’s press conference in Ulm, Magirus presented FireBull; another solution ready for series production in the field of off-road and forest...

In 2016, the fast-moving Chimney Tops 2 Fire in Tennessee killed 14 and injured over 200 people. This type of wildfire is not common in the region. The community was largely unprepared to respond or evacuate. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) surveyed affected residents of Sevier County, the county most impacted by the fire, to identify factors related to their decision to flee or stay behind. The survey looked at risk perception, gender, warnings from trusted...

Motorola Solutions has announced the launch of the APX NEXT XE, its next-generation Project 25 (P25) radio with broadband capabilities, specifically built for firefighters. APX NEXT XE The APX NEXT XE combines mission-critical voice communications with data applications that bring together radio voice control, messaging, mapping, and vital new collaboration applications that can help improve situational awareness of those in the field. APX NEXT XE, and its predecessor, APX NEXT for law enforc...

Wildfire season in 2019 was catastrophic for many parts of the western U.S., particularly California. And 2020 isn’t shaping up to be much better, given the effects of climate change on weather patterns and the continuing coronavirus pandemic. The number of wildfires in the western United States continues to increase daily. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported 87 large fires were burning across the country. Today that number has increased to 96. These fires have scor...

Branchville Volunteer Fire Company has announced sending their Engine 111 (E811) pumper engine to Patriot Fire for rehab modifications work. Engine 111 is a Pierce Arrow XT engine with a 1,500 GPM Hale 2-stage pump and 500 gal booster tank. The Engine 111 (E811) was built and delivered in 2010, and has served the company well, since then. Engine 111 will be returning in a couple of months with a pull-out 400’ tray, new drafting hard sleeves, new interior hooks, and integrated A/C, among o...

In the COVID-19 era, where digital tools and virtual platforms have become more important than ever before, global safety equipment manufacturer, MSA Safety Incorporated has announced that they will host free, online safety seminars from September 14 to September 18, 2020. Free, online safety seminars The sessions are being conducted by MSA Safety to support National Safety Stand-Down week, an annual week-long event, organized by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), t...

With more than two dozen major wildfires as well as over 12,000 emergency incidents, and over 1.1 million acres burned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, a thick blanket of smoke continues to hang low in the skies in Northern California. NasalGuard® Airborne Particle Blocker responds to the devastating fires raging across Northern California with the launch of the ‘Breathe Easier Smoke Inhalation Donation’ program. NasalGuard® Airborne P...