Tag: wildfire season

Firefighters Fighting More than Wildfires as Stress Mounts

As fire seasons have become more severe across the West, federal agencies battling the blazes face a new challenge: a workforce suffering from stress, anxiety, and addiction, with insufficient mental-health support. One wildland fire official stated that she spent hours on the phone attempting to prevent a colleague from shooting himself. After a drinking binge,… Continue reading Firefighters Fighting More than Wildfires as Stress Mounts

Changes Caused by Worsening Wildfires in California Forests Will Last Centuries

This is a forest back burn or burn out lit by US Forest Service fire specialists. Very few of these trees died and it was generally healthy for the forest. River Complex Fire, Trinity County, California, 2015.

The single-engine Cessna was buzzing 1,000 feet above a Northern California burn scar as UC Berkeley scientist Scott Stephens shifted excitedly in his seat and peered out the window for a better view. Down below, heavy machinery kicked up clouds of dust as commercial loggers attempted to salvage whatever timber they could, while a vast… Continue reading Changes Caused by Worsening Wildfires in California Forests Will Last Centuries