Latest news with #U.S.FireAdministration
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why 99 Million Americans Have to Live in a Climate Danger Zone — And How to Fix It
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. In January 2025, six months before the typical start of California's wildfire season, a series of wildfires prompted the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people in the Los Angeles area. At its peak, seven different wildfires were blazing, and the fires lasted for 24 days. By the end of the 24 days of raging fires, entire neighborhoods were razed and at least 30 people died. The factors that cause wildfires can develop rapidly. In Los Angeles' case, exceptionally strong Santa Ana winds — raging past 80 miles per hour in some areas — collided with extremes of wet and dry seasons. Drought had returned after a period of rainfall from 2022-2023 that supported vegetation growth. It would later become fire fuel. These realities are becoming more common and hard to control due to climate change. The Eaton and Palisades fires only burned a fraction of the area of the largest fires in California history (about 1,000 wildfires occur each year), but they became the second and third most destructive blazes, earning the reputation as 'the big ones.' Entire blocks in Altadena, a historically Black suburban enclave in Los Angeles County, and Malibu, a wealthy beachside city west of LA, were destroyed. Meanwhile, 11,000 single-family homes burned to the ground — and those burned houses fed the flames. The 2025 wildfires proved how devastating and unrelenting the damage of these disasters can be when they collide with one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S. Los Angeles County — already grappling with a housing crisis with the number of households growing by over 700,000 over the past three decades and the number of housing units by just under 500,000 — now faces an even tighter crunch. At the very heart of the problem in Los Angeles, and increasingly across the country, is the number of housing units that are being built in what's called the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The WUI, per the U.S. Fire Administration, is the 'transition between unoccupied land and human development. It is the line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.' Data from SILVIS Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison estimates about one-fifth of the county's housing stock is in the WUI. But the WUI isn't just an LA problem; nationally, an estimated 99 million people live in the WUI, about one-third of the total population. Increasing risk of evacuation and damage from wildfires isn't just due to more fires, but also the growth of people living on the front lines of the WUI. The most damaged regions in the LA fires — the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu — were largely located in the WUI. The share of housing stock located in the WUI has also been expanding across the country, growing from 29.5% in 1990 to 31.5% in 2020. Two percentage points may seem small, but it represents an additional 14 million units. Housing in the WUI is growing faster than it is in areas outside of them. Counties located along the periphery of San Antonio, in Virginia's Piedmont region, as well as in Clark County (home to Las Vegas), Nevada, have seen some of the fastest growth in the percentage of WUI housing units over the last 30 years. Not every area has equal risk of wildfires, though — Waldo County, Maine, for example, has seen an 11 percentage point growth in share of WUI housing units over the past 30 years, but the chance of a fire breaking out each year according to the USDA Forest Service is just 5%. By contrast, the Jacksonville, Florida, suburb St. John's County has seen a 21.5 percentage point growth in WUI housing units, and an annual burn probability of 76.4%. Even with a lower chance of burning, living in the WUI can also increase proximity to bad air quality when fires do break out. And lower fire risk now doesn't necessarily mean low fire risk forever. Climate change is lengthening the number of fire-weather days across the U.S., including in Texas, the Eastern Carolinas, and Colorado. The downed trees and other vegetation in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last spring are providing fuel for a series of wildfires, prompting evacuations throughout North and South Carolina, both of which have seen hundreds of thousands of housing units added to WUI since 1990. (North Carolina accounted for just under 830,000 new housing units in the WUI, while South Carolina had over 530,000. Homes in the WUI can become fuel for fires — and human activity plays a major part. In Horry County, South Carolina, where most land is zoned for single-family homes and the number of WUI housing units tripled from 1990-2020, one resident was arrested this year for causing a 2,000-acre wildfire after burning debris in her yard. Nearly 85% of all wildland fires are caused by humans. In California, the five most populous counties all have annual burn probabilities over 92%. Between population and fire risk, even marginal increases in WUI housing could mean devastating consequences. Los Angeles is a city known for its sprawl. An estimated 75% to 78% of land is zoned for detached single-family homes. By contrast, in New York City, known for its density and walkability, just 15% of residential land is zoned for single-family units. Sprawl-oriented design has been the standard for many U.S. cities since the early 20th century, spurred by the rise of the automobile and outdated beliefs around how multifamily housing units would negatively change neighborhoods. This restrictive zoning has fueled the cities' housing crises for years. In Los Angeles, the median rent for a two-bedroom home is nearly double the national average, and the median sale price of all homes reached $1.1 million this year, according to Redfin. Single family homes sold for around $1.25 million. Homes in the WUI, especially those further from the city or popular areas, can be cheaper and offer a path to homeownership buyers may not find elsewhere. 'You can see that in most U.S. cities there's this pattern where areas that are safer tend to have more restricted housing supply,' says Augusto Ospital, an economist and professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, who has studied how land-use regulations impact proximity to natural disasters. If building limitations were removed (lot size and multifamily bans, for instance), he found that the estimated average rent would fall as much as 28% and the share of people living in high risk zones could drop by 7%. Ospital recognizes that removing every zoning limitation isn't feasible, but even modest improvements he says could make a difference. 'By upzoning about 5% of the land in targeted central areas, you could get about 80% of the gains in well-being in terms of reduced prices and exposure to wildfire risk,' he says. Passing upzoning programs isn't always easy, though. Under California law, cities must adopt a housing plan and update it every eight years, adding a specified number of housing units during that period. Based on LA's housing plan, they have to add over 450,000 units between 2021 and 2029. The city's existing zoning law is equipped to meet only about half of that demand. The city's housing plan included a number of programs to meet this shortfall, some of which involved rezoning lots currently zoned for detached single-family homes. The city, however, removed proposals for rezoning single family areas in the plan's final version. Under the new plan, existing capacity will increase by 30%, but it won't be enough to reach the target of 456,000, UCLA researchers found. Instead, it will encourage higher housing costs and potentially sprawl from people seeking to escape them. California adopted wildfire building codes in 2008, and since then, new developments are required to have fire safety features. But the law didn't mandate retrofitting older homes, and other states don't have as stringent requirements. Even if not legally mandated, making fire safety upgrades can protect homeowners and also lower insurance rates. Kelly Berkompas, cofounder of Brandguard Vents, a fire-rated vent company that protects homes from flying embers during fires, says the first step for people already or considering living in the WUI is completing a wildfire risk assessment, usually available for free from a local fire department. Homeowners can also get a wildfire prepared home certification which requires a 5-foot zone around the house of noncombustible material. This means removing any plants, flammable landscaping material, and combustible fencing. Other upgrades include using fire-rated roofing, ember-resistant vents, and metal gutters. Berkompas says the LA wildfires were a wakeup call for how people thought about fire safety. 'I've been in this industry for almost 20 years, and there have been many fires in that time,' she says. 'There's always a little bit of an uptick in people calling and being more aware after a wildfire … but nothing like what happened after these fires.' According to Zachary Subin, associate research director at the Terner Center at Berkeley, the focus on making WUI housing more resilient shouldn't overshadow the need to also build density in areas that aren't in high-risk zones. Subin, who studies the intersection of housing policy and climate change, warns that, 'in the aftermath [of the fires], it's important to not lose sight of the rest of the city … The more housing you can build that isn't at risk, the more opportunities you give people to live in that kind of housing. And the lower the cost of that housing can be because there's less of a constrained supply.' The LA wildfires were brought on by a perfect storm of events, but scientists don't expect the level of devastation seen in January to be an anomaly. Across the country, climate change is increasing the frequency of billion-dollar natural disasters, and the places most at risk aren't always expensive beachside villas, but may also be a starter home in a newly developed suburb or a house in a flood-prone valley. As cities like Los Angeles continue to grow, it's not just a matter of building more housing, but building the right kind of housing that can both ease housing prices and keep more people away from the frontlines of wildfires. I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It's a Game-Changer!) See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here's What They Said Sign up for Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FEMA reopens National Fire Academy after nearly three-month, DOGE-driven shutdown
Instructors fit a firefighter's gear. (Photo courtesy U.S. Fire Administration) Almost three months after the Federal Emergency Management Agency abruptly canceled classes at the National Fire Academy, saying it would only support mission-critical functions, someone at FEMA apparently decided that fire training is critical to the agency's mission. FEMA announced Thursday that classes would resume June 2 at its 'national schoolhouses': the National Fire Academy and the National Disaster and Emergency Management University, both in Emmitsburg, and the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. Classes at all three had been canceled abruptly and without explanation in an email on March 7, a Friday, that said programs were suspended effective immediately and that the cancellations would remain in place indefinitely. But in Thursday's announcement, FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration said they had 'determined certain courses provide effective training to enhance national readiness for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency managers, first responders and local leaders. FEMA's principles for emergency management assert that disasters are best managed when they're federally supported, state managed and locally executed.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX More than 60 members of Congress — including every Democrat in the Maryland delegation — wrote to the head of FEMA and to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 17, demanding to know why the center had been closed and when they would reopen. They never got an answer to their letter, but Thursday's reopening announcement said the closing ordered as part of the work of billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, Service. The shutdown was in response to a Feb. 26 executive order from President Donald Trump on 'Implementing the President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Cost Efficiency Initiative, to ensure alignment with the Administration's priority of good use of taxpayer funds.' It came in the early, heady days of DOGE, when grants and payments were suspended and programs put on ice, before courts stepped in and started slowing or reversing DOGE actions. Even though they never got an answer to their letter, Maryland lawmakers welcomed the news Thursday that the fire academy would soon be back in business. 'I am happy to share that programming will be resuming immediately for dedicated fire fighters and first responders from around the nation,' said Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-6th). 'The rash decision to close the academy wasted valuable resources and undermined our communities' safety, resilience, and response efforts. ' McClain Delaney, whose district include the academy, called the original closure 'senseless.' That was echoed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in a joint statement on the reopening. 'The Trump Administration's decision to abruptly cancel these classes made no sense – and what's more, it risked significant harm to our communities and those who protect them,' Van Hollen's statement said. 'While the good work done by the men and women [of the] National Fire Academy never should have been halted, I'm glad to see the Administration has heeded our calls to lift this senseless ban.'
Newsweek
13-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Student Loans Could Be Forgiven in Exchange for Volunteer Work
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The dwindling ranks of first responder volunteers would be boosted if those giving up their time were eligible for student loan forgiveness, according to a Democratic congressman. New York Representative Dan Goldman has authored a bill allowing volunteer firefighters and EMTs to obtain federal student loan forgiveness after meeting certain criteria. He is calling the bill the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Student Debt (HEROES) Act of 2025. Newsweek reached out to Goldman via email for comment. Why It Matters Volunteer firefighters account for 65 percent of all crews across the United States. Of all the fire departments registered in the U.S., 69.8 percent are wholly volunteer outfits, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Just 9.6 percent were listed as career departments, with the others containing a mix of staff; 15.5 percent were "mostly volunteer," while 5.1 percent were "mostly career." But the number of volunteers has been steadily declining in a worrying national trend. Goldman hopes his HEROES Act loan forgiveness plan, if passed, will encourage more people to sign up as volunteers and stay with it long-term. Firefighters arrive to battle a blaze in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan on February 26, 2025. Firefighters arrive to battle a blaze in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan on February 26, To Know Some 90.7 percent of fire departments in New York are defined as volunteer departments, with just 4.2 percent listed as career departments by the U.S. Fire Administration. The remaining percentage comprises departments that say they are a mix of the two. But fewer people are signing up as firefighter volunteers. New York State Assemblyman Bill Conrad told the BBC last year that since the late 1990s, "we've seen a 32 percent decrease in the amount of volunteering. It's a state-wide problem, and what's also shocking is that the amount of calls has gone up 29 percent." John D'Alessandro, a volunteer firefighter in Saratoga County and the secretary of the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, told Spectrum News 1 that there were around 120,000 volunteers across the state 20 years ago, whereas today that number stands at just 80,000. This is despite the increasing volume of calls, he said. Goldman's bill seeks to expand the existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which already offers student loan forgiveness to various public service employees, such as career firefighters. But he believes volunteers who do the work for free across the U.S. should enjoy similar benefits after they've provided a decade of service and 120 qualifying payments. He told Spectrum News 1: "This would both recognize [volunteers'] public service by giving them a benefit that other public service officials get. It would also help recruit and retain volunteer firefighters so that the smaller fire departments that rely on them have enough people to deal with emergencies when they pop up." A cost estimate has not yet been revealed. D'Alessandro, who supports Goldman's bill, argues it would actually represent value for money in the Empire State by investing in the volunteers who save New York taxpayers "$3.8 billion a year just in salaries and benefits alone." The student loan forgiveness plan is already available to millions of people, including veterans and serving members of the military. What People Are Saying Congressman Dan Goldman, in a statement: "Volunteer firefighters and EMTs risk their lives every day to keep us safe, yet they're too often denied the recognition and support granted to other public servants. As the number of volunteer firefighters and EMTs continues to decline, we must prioritize the first responders who keep communities across our city, state, and country safe. Those who put their lives on the line deserve nothing less than the full support and resources afforded to all public servants." A spokesperson for the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY), in a statement: "One of the biggest challenges facing volunteer response agencies is the critical need to attract new members. Including volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program would be an effective addition to their recruitment toolbox. It would also assist them in retaining existing volunteers, who often work several jobs in addition to volunteering. We commend Congressman Goldman for recognizing the value of volunteer first responders and for his efforts to support them." What Happens Next The bill is currently in the earliest stages on Capitol Hill and is now set to wind its way through the legislative process as lawmakers debate whether to implement the proposals.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why are flags at half-staff today? Texas, US flags lowered to honor fallen firefighters
Flags across the United States and Texas are at half-staff Sunday in honor of National Firefighters Memorial Day, which commemorates 70 firefighters who died in the line of duty last year. The 44th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend will also pay tribute to 70 additional firefighters who died in previous years. 'Each of these 140 firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others – a profound sacrifice that defines true heroism,' Victor Stagnaro, CEO of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation said in a release. 'Memorial Weekend is a time for our nation to come together to honor their bravery, to stand beside their families, and ensure their legacy lives on in every community they so selflessly served.' Former President George W. Bush signed the law that required the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff on all federal buildings to memorialize fallen firefighters each year. "When you lower your flag this year, you will recognize the brave men and women who died protecting their communities from natural and manmade emergencies and disasters and those who carry on the proud tradition," the NFFF said. Flags will return to full-staff at sunset. Six Texas firefighters are being honored during this year's National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend: Lieutenant Charles "Buddy" Freeman II, of the Montgomery County Fire Department Emergency Services District, died on Sept. 29, 2023. He had responded to a possible carbon monoxide leak on July 9. The following morning, he suffered a heart attack and later died from complications following multiple heart surgeries, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. He did not return to duty after the hazardous materials incident. Firefighter and Paramedic G. Wade Cannon, of the Flower Mound Fire Department, died in 2022 from colon cancer. Firefighter Marcelo "Ox" Garcia III, of the Houston Fire Department, died on Nov. 6, 2023, after a wall collapsed on him while he was battling a fire at a vacant warehouse. Assistant Chief Scott Glass, of Perryton Fire and EMS, died on Oct. 20 from a head injury caused when he was struck by a 5-inch hose that whipped unexpectedly while being charged with water during a structure fire. Safety Officer Daniel R. "Dan" Potts Sr., of City of Whitney Fire and Rescue, died in 2023 from a heart attack while responding to an early-morning structure fire. He passed away before reaching the scene. Chief Zebulin Earl "Zeb" Smith, of the Fritch Volunteer Fire Department, died in March 2024 from a heart attack while battling a structure fire. He had been fighting wildfires for nine consecutive days during a weeks-long wildfire outbreak that scorched much of the same area. It was the largest wildfire in state history. There are specific holidays and events when flags are flown at half-staff in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. That includes: Memorial Day, when the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon, then raised to the top of the staff. Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. Patriot Day. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. National Firefighters Memorial Day. President Dwight Eisenhower also issued a proclamation on the proper times for flying the flag at half-staff when government officials die. That includes: 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after the death of the president or a former president. 10 days at half-staff after the death of the vice president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, or the speaker of the House of Representatives. From the date of death until interment for an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former vice president, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, or the minority leader of the House of Representatives. The date of death and the following day of a United States senator, representative, territorial delegate, or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It should also be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in the state, congressional district, territory, or commonwealth of these officials. From the date of death until interment for the governor of a state, territory or possession. The president or governor may also order that the flag be flown at half-staff to commemorate the death of other officials, former officials or foreign dignitaries, such as the death of Pope Francis. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Why are flags at half-staff today? Texas honors fallen firefighters
CBS News
02-05-2025
- CBS News
Maryland's annual Fallen Heroes Day ceremony honors first responders who died in the line of duty
Maryland police, firefighters, emergency personnel and other first responders who have died in the line of duty will be honored during the 40th annual Fallen Heroes Day in Baltimore County. The ceremony, held at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, brings together all groups of the public safety community. Fallen Heroes Day is held each year on the first Friday in May. It provides an opportunity for the state to show its appreciation for first responders who risk their lives to protect citizens. The ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Maryland's Fallen Heroes ceremony On Friday morning, Gov. Wes Moore ordered that Maryland flags be lowered to half-staff to honor Fallen Heroes Day. "Our state is stronger because of the members of our military, law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders who served and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty," the governor said. Friday's ceremony will start with a procession of honor guard units from across Maryland, motorcycle police and mounted units. The family members of those who died in the line of duty will attend the ceremony, organizers said. Maryland remembers first responders who died in the line of duty According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there were 76 on-duty firefighter deaths reported between 1990 and 2024 in Maryland. So far in 2025, the agency reported one on-duty firefighter death in Maryland. Montgomery County Firefighter Christopher Higgins died after suffering a medical emergency while battling a fire in January. He will be honored at the ceremony. The Officer Down Memorial Page reported two police line-of-duty deaths in 2024, including a Cecil County Police sergeant and Parole Agent Davis Martinez. Both of them will also be honored during the Fallen Heroes ceremony. Agent Davis Martinez was killed in May 2024 while he was visiting the home of a convicted sex offender in Montgomery County. It was the first time that a parole agent died in the line of duty in Maryland. Davis Martinez's brother, Michael Martinez, told WJZ that Davis was everyone's cheerleader. Michael Martinez also said his brother felt like his job was not appreciated enough, but being named a fallen hero, he said, speaks for itself. A total of nine fallen heroes will be honored during the ceremony, including Baltimore Police Officer Daoud Mingo, who died in December 2023. Mingo was injured when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle that had turned into his path during a funeral escort in 2015. He continued to serve the department until his retirement in 2020. He died from complications related to his injuries. Howard County Firefighter Richard Blankenship, Jr., will also be honored. According to event organizers, Blankenship served for two decades before he died from occupational cancer. "As we mark the 40th anniversary of Fallen Heroes Day, we are humbled and grateful as we remember all of the brave and heroic first responders who have made the supreme sacrifice. They did their jobs with grace and determination so that we all could be safe and protected," said President of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens Jack Mitchell.
