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Maui residents contaminated with toxic metals long after 2023 wildfires, study finds
The lungs of many Hawaii residents are filled with extremely high levels of toxic metals, months after the smoke from the disastrous 2023 fires in Lahaina had cleared, according to a recent study published by the University of Hawaiʻi. The research, published on September 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the urine of 1,400 adults from Maui tested 6-18 months after the fires had toxic metal levels far above normal levels, including antimony at nearly 40 times, manganese at 3.8 times, barium at 2.3 times, and arsenic at 2.2 times reference levels. High metal exposure is associated with poor lung health, with the metals
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News
Abandoned campfire caused Yosemite Dome Fire that killed two pilots
The Dome Fire that has burned over 5,000 acres and caused the deaths of two pilots in Yosemite National Park was caused by an abandoned campfire, according to fire crews at the scene. Investigators listed the fire’s cause on Inciweb, but did not release details on how they determined the
Fire Aviation
Canada boosts national aerial firefighting capacity
The Government of Canada is investing $316.7 million over the next five years to increase Canada’s aerial wildfire firefighting capacity. This investment, from the Budget 2025 commitment to bolster provincial and territorial aerial firefighting capacity, will go to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) to lease, manage and deploy
Research
Wildland firefighter health should be treated as fire infrastructure, urges emerging research focus
The physiological and psychological stress that wildfire personnel are put under every fire season has quickly moved from the margins of fire research to the mainstream, with global pathways for funding increasingly expanding, according to International Journal of Wildland Fire Associate Editor Anthony White. White, in an editorial in the
Safety and Training
A time of remembrance
By Bequi Livingston As we find ourselves in full swing of wildfire season, it also brings a multitude of wildfire anniversaries. For me, the Dude Fire first comes to mind, which took the lives of five members of the Perryville Inmate crew and a Corrections Officer on June 26, 1990.
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Flammable Australia online for all to see
Australia’s fire preparedness just got smarter, more colourful and easier to access. A new satellite-derived product from Geoscience Australia helps monitor fuel moisture (vegetation dryness) across Australia in near real time. The tool uses Earth observation to provide a clear visual assessment of vegetation flammability. Developed in partnership with The
