With or without roads, US forests burn at a similar rate, researchers claim

McKinley Fire Alaska Parks highway

Over 40 years of wildfire-ignition data across 11 western U.S. states showed that national forest areas classified as “roadless” didn’t burn more than national forest land with roads, further fueling discussion around the Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ intent to repeal the 2001 “Roadless Rule.”

Rollins has stated that the nation’s protected forests need to be opened to new road construction, development and logging in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. Rollins has also labeled the rule as an “absurd obstacle to properly managing our forests.”

Researchers out of Oregon State University explicitly cited the USDA’s wildfire-based claims for repealing the 2021 Roadless Rule as the reason behind why they analyzed four decades of fire research. Previous studies have highlighted the ecological benefits of roadless areas, including the conservation of biodiversity and supporting clean air and water quality, and the researchers argue those benefits are why it is important for decision-makers to critically evaluate proposed rationales for overturning the Roadless Rule.

Their study, published on Sept. 8, compiled fire severity and extent data to evaluate fire patterns across developed lands, inventoried roadless areas (IRAs), and wilderness. The fire severity data was sourced from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program, an interagency effort between the US Geological Survey and Forest Service that uses Landsat satellite imagery to map the extent and severity of all large fires from 1984 to the present.

The researchers found inventoried roadless areas burned at an estimated 1.13 times the annual rate of developed lands between 1984 and 2023. The annual burn rate of inventoried roadless areas dropped to 0.89 times the annual rate of developed lands when measured between 2014 and 2023.

“Our analysis indicates that IRAs across western states’ NFS land are not associated with a significantly greater rate of burning – or a greater rate of moderate and high-severity fire – relative to roaded or developed lands,” the researchers said in the study. “It is possible that burn rates in IRAs [inventoried roadless areas] are stabilizing as fires encounter previously burned areas with less fuel to burn. However, it is more likely that there is simply no consistent, quantifiable difference between patterns of fire in IRAs and the roaded and developed portion of the NFS landscape at the spatial and temporal scales we evaluated.”

The researchers did identify a landscape with a very high burn rate, but it would be unaffected by the Roadless Rule’s repeal. Congressionally designated wilderness areas burned at almost double the annual rate of inventoried roadless areas or developed lands, which they attributed to significant constraints on suppression resource availability during fire seasons and the low prioritization remote wilderness areas receive for both initial attack and containment.

Public comment on removing the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule has been extended to October 6, 2026. Go to this USDA page for more information and to Comment.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: End to landmark roadless rule will make wildfires more likely, study finds

Prescribed burning gets hazard pay coverage under final rule passage

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service celebrated what it called a “well-deserved win” for the nation’s firefighters after prescribed wildland fire duties were officially made eligible for hazardous duty pay.

The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday issued a final rule making the duties eligible for hazard pay for General Schedule employees and for Environmental Differential Pay for Federal Wage System employees. The final rule specifically authorizes a 25% differential for both classes of employees participating in the fireline during prescribed fires.

The rule will officially go into effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Officials originally submitted the proposed rule in April.

“This is the latest improvement to firefighter compensation, following the incident response premium pay and permanent pay reforms established last year,” the Service said in a social media post.

Hazard pay has historically not been eligible for GS employees when the “hazard” in question has already been taken into account in the position’s description, like firefighters fighting wildfires, according to the Office. That largely changed for firefighters in 2021 when a special exemption was added, allowing wildland firefighters working on a wildfire’s fireline to receive hazard pay. The rule change follows the same logic, allowing a GS or FWS employee working a prescribed fire’s fireline to receive hazard pay despite the classification of the employee’s position.

Previous research has shown that wildland firefighters conducting prescribed burns are often exposed to carbon monoxide, trace metals, and particulate matter at levels that exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s recommended exposure limit, which may cause both short-term and long-term negative health impacts. Some of the personal protective equipment that wildland firefighters use has been found to increase the risk of cancer, due to the equipment shedding carcinogenic compounds and harmful chemicals when exposed to high temperatures common on firelines.

Fish and Wildlife officer dies while evacuating family from Oklahoma’s Railroad South Fire

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officer died while helping evacuate residents threatened by the Railroad South Fire in Oklahoma, the Department of the Interior announced on Sunday.

The officer was identified at 38-year-old David Taylor of Scio, Oregon, according to a press release sent out by the department. Taylor was going door to door to help residents evacuate, and officials lost contact with him while he was assisting a family leave their home. Evidence recovered from the scene indicates he died during the evacuation effort.

“Everything we know about David’s actions demonstrates extraordinary courage and selflessness,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik said. “When people were in danger, David was there helping them get to safety. He remained committed to protecting others under the most dangerous circumstances. We mourn alongside his family, friends and colleagues, and we will never forget his service.”

Taylor worked for the Service at Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico before joining Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, officials said in the press release. He also had 20 years of naval service, serving on active duty in the U.S. Navy and continuing his military service in the Navy Reserve while he was a federal wildlife officer.

The release says more information will be released as it is confirmed.

The Railroad South Fire ignited between Indiahoma and Cache in Oklahoma at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to Comanche Nation Emergency Management. The fire burned 515 acres, destroyed five homes and two deaths including Taylor. The Comanche County/Lawton Emergency Management has lifted all evacuation orders for residents affected by the fire and authorities are investigating the cause.

Donations supporting victims and survivors of the fire can be directed to the following contacts, officials said:

  • Lenetta McClung Davenport at (580) 699-4893
  • Adra Tehauno-Martinez with the Comanche National Housing Authority at (580) 357-4956
  • Comanche Nation Emergency Management Hotline at (580) 919-1098

Wildland firefighters warned not to take supplements for smoke or PFAS exposure

A drug marketed to wildland firefighters exposed to smoke or PFAS shows no evidence of being effective, leading the International Association of Firefighters and the Food and Drug Administration to warn against its use.

The drug, called glutathione, is marketed to fire fighters to remove toxins, but the IAFF says there are no scientific studies showing it can reduce forever chemical levels or relieve occupational exposures.

“Because glutathione is not an FDA-approved drug, consumers should be cautious about product safety and claims that glutathione can treat or prevent diseases,” the IAFF said in a safety advisory.

The association referenced a nationwide recall of the drug made on Aug. 5 by Victory Medical Center Pharmacy in Austin, Texas, after pharmacists found elevated bacterial endotoxin levels in the drug.

“There is reasonable probability that injectable products with elevated endotoxin levels could cause significant medical events including fevers, hypotension, inflammatory reactions, anaphylactic shock and death,” the pharmacy said in a risk statement shared by the FDA. “To date, Victory Medical Center Pharmacy has received reports of adverse events including fever, chills, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, changes in blood pressure, body aches, and instances of injection site reactions.”

The IAFF also shared an FDA alert from 2019, warning compounders not to use the drug in injectable drugs due to patients who used the drugs experiencing adverse effects, also due to high levels of endotoxins. Patients reportedly experienced symptoms of varying degrees, including nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, chills, body aches and sneezing, with one patient being hospitalized after experiencing low blood pressure and difficulty breathing.

“Accompanying the initial adverse event reports were endotoxin test results from a third-party laboratory, which FDA found concerning,” the FDA alert said. “All samples tested by an FDA laboratory were found to contain excessive bacterial endotoxin with some results as high as five times the appropriate limit, which the agency calculated based on the L-glutathione dose received by the patients.”

Over 90,000 evacuate as uncontained Hawk Fire burns outside Reno, Nevada

The Hawk Fire burning northwest of Reno, Nevada, triggered the evacuations of over 90,000 people on Sunday, according to fire crews working the incident.

The wildfire, which ignited on Saturday morning and has since been determined to be human-caused, has burned over 15,000 acres as of Sunday evening. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a State of Emergency soon after the fire started on Saturday as the fire spread rapidly.

“This is an active and rapidly evolving situation, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant and follow the direction of local officials,” Lombardo said in a press release regarding the emergency declaration. “The state is fully engaged, and we are working alongside local authorities and first responders to deploy every available resource to protect lives, safeguard communities, and keep Nevadans out of harm’s way.” 

Numerous communities are in GO NOW evacuation zones across the region, with local officials urging community members to check the Perimeter Map website for the latest evacuation updates. Officials have also closed numerous roads in the area, including highways and local streets. Winds up to 20 mph increased fire activity and drove fire movement Sunday afternoon into the evening, crews said.

Credit: Perimeter Map

Firefighters remained fully engaged on Sunday, working to extinguish hotspots and keep the fire south of U.S. 395, according to crews at the scene. Communities north of 396 are sandwiched between pending evacuations from the Hawk Fire to the south and the Bug & Stallion Fires to the north, which have burned over 93,000 acres and are 97% contained as of Sunday night.

The Washoe County School District canceled all school classes, except for Gerlach K-12 school, on Monday due to the ongoing fire. The district had just restarted classes for the new school year on Aug. 10.

“We understand that so many people in our WCSD family—students, families, and staff —are impacted,” the district said in a press release. “Over the next few days, we will continue to update our entire district family with information as it becomes available. We are grateful to our firefighters and first responders as they continue to battle this fire, and we thank our district personnel who are assisting with this effort.”

Credit: Inciweb

Roadless Rule ‘entirely’ removed under new USDA proposal

The United States Department of Agriculture on Tuesday formally began the process of rescinding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, opening the nation’s protected forests to new development, road construction, and intensive logging.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins attributed the move to wildfire risk reduction, saying the rule has acted as a barrier to it. Public comment on the rule’s end is now open through Sept. 21. People can click here to submit their comments once the proposed rule is posted on Wednesday, officials said.

“For too long, outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to the very treatments that improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to our communities,” Rollins said in a press release. “Today, we filed a proposal to restore authority to local forest managers who know the land best, removing the barriers that have kept them from doing the work the land demands. It’s time to turn the page on the failed roadless rule and return our forests to health and productivity.”

A recent scientific study into roads’ effects on wildfires in forests offers a different view. Members of the Wilderness Society published research in Nature’s Fire Ecology Journal in January that found the highest wildfire-ignition density was in lands within 164 feet of roads at just under 8 fires per 2,471 acres. Wildfire-ignition density was at its lowest in designated wilderness areas without roads, at 1.75 fires per 2,471 acres.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: End to landmark roadless rule will make wildfires more likely, study finds

President Donald Trump has targeted the 2001 rule since his first term, according to Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden. The Forest Service originally announcing a draft proposal to rescind it in June 2025.

“It is a credit to President Trump that we can begin to put into place a rule that will allow us to properly manage our national forests, because the first step to managing forests is to have access to them,” Vaden said.

Numerous environment-focused organizations previously condemned the plan to end the rule, including Environment America, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and the Defenders of Wildlife. The major proponents of the Roadless Rule’s repeal are timber associations, which said the rule is based on false and unscientific premises.

Two pilots confirmed dead after helicopter crash at Utah’s Widemouth 2 Fire

The bodies of the two pilots killed in a helicopter crash helping fight the Widemouth 2 Fire in central Utah have been recovered and returned to their families, according to officials.

Fishlake National Forest officials confirmed the fatalities six hours after reporting crews couldn’t reach the scene of the crash due to a recently ignited fire. They said the Sevier County Sheriff and interagency partners of the Great Basin Geographic Area confirmed the pilots’ deaths after the scene of the crash was deemed safe.

“The victims were pilots with Helicopter Transport Services (HTS), a Forest Service Exclusive Use contract aircraft company,” officials said in a press release on Saturday evening. “The families of the pilots have been notified, and the interagency partners are coordinating closely with the company and families through this difficult time.”

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the incident.

The wildfire has burned 118,796 acres, destroyed six structures, and is at 27% containment as of Sunday morning, according to the latest release from National Forest personnel. Thunderstorms and lightning rolled over the fire on Saturday, but moisture eluded the area. Erratic winds, dry fuels and hot temperatures continue to fuel the fire’s growth.

“We stand strong in our support of the Fishlake National Forest, HTS, those supporting the Widemouth 2 Fire, and the communities affected directly by this loss,” officials said. “Fatalities such as this land heavily on the minds and hearts of our agencies and the wildland fire community as a whole.”

Credit: Fishlake National Forest

Search for crashed helicopter crew continues as Widemouth 2 Fire crosses 110,000 acres burned

Over 24 hours later, rescue teams are unable to access the site where a firefighting helicopter crashed responding to a wildfire in Utah, according to officials at the Fishlake National Forest.

Ground crews attempted to respond to the area near the ongoing Widemouth 2 Fire in central Utah on Friday, but were unable to access the scene due to an emergent fire caused by vegetation ignited by the crash, U.S. Forest Service officials said in a press release on Saturday afternoon. The responding Incident Management Team decided not to put further lives at risk until the area was deemed safe.

“The site is now inside the fire perimeter itself, with the growth that occurred yesterday on the fire,” officials said in the press release. “Due to the continued large fire growth and unsafe conditions, emergency responders are still unable to access the scene or victims as of this morning.”

There is no confirmation on the health status of the helicopter’s crew, and officials warned against starting or engaging with numerous false reports and rumors that have since spread online, according to the press release. They said any confirmation of the crew’s health status will come directly from the Sevier County Sheriff after Search and Rescue teams can safely access the scene.

“This is an evolving situation, and emergency personnel are on scene where safe to do so,” officials said. “Agency and fire personnel’s top priority is responding to the incident safely.”

The Widemouth 2 Fire has burned 111,306 acres and is 24% contained as of Saturday afternoon, according to the latest update from fire managers. Containment has increased over the past 24 hours, but continual erratic winds, dry fuels and hot temperatures threaten to further the fire’s spread.

“Rainfall is expected early next week, but it is too early for meteorologists to predict how much rainfall will occur and where,” fire crews said.

Click here for the latest evacuation information.

Helicopter crashes while fighting +100K-acre Utah wildfire

A firefighting helicopter responding to the Widemouth 2 Fire in central Utah has crashed, U.S. Forest Service officials confirmed on Friday.

The crash happened in the Fishlake National Forest and emergency personnel were responding to the scene as of 3 p.m. Mountain Time, according to a press release sent out by Forest Service personnel on Friday. Officials said responding to the incident is their top priority.

“Local, state, and federal authorities are assisting in the response,” officials said. “Information will be released as soon as it is available. Please be patient as the response to this incident continues to occur and safety actions are prioritized first.”

The fire, which has burned over 106,000 acres as of Friday morning, was caused by lightning on July 27 and is 19% contained. Erratic winds, dry fuels and hot temperatures have worsened fire spread, but upcoming monsoonal moisture offers hope of lessened fire danger.

“Direct suppression tactics are not feasible, nor safe, in many areas due to terrain, slope alignment, erratic winds, dry fuels and extreme fire behavior,” Fishlake National Forest officials said. “It is too early for meteorologists to predict how much rainfall will occur and where.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz recently visited areas impacted by the Widemouth 2 Fire to sign a formal funding commitment to post-fire flooding mitigation.

This is a developing situation. This article will be updated with the latest information as it is released.

Credit: Fishlake National Forest

Arson spikes possible due to prediction markets’ rise, US senators warn

Nine United States senators have urged financial regulators to crack down on prediction markets’ rise, specifically the ability to bet on wildfires.

The senators recently sent a letter to Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig, arguing he needs to “lead the charge” in regulating prediction markets, where people can place money on the outcome of future events. The letter comes after multiple state and local fire officials spoke with the senators, warning that offering such bets would encourage arson to make bets successful.

Polymarket, one of the most popular prediction markets, accepted over $1.2 million in bets related to the Palisades and Eaton fires in California. Another prediction market, called “Wyldfyre,” launched exclusively to accept bets on wildfires in California with the slogan “You can’t predict fire, but you can trade on it.”

The senators warn of the heightened risk that: “…individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful.”

“By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading,” the senators’ letter said. “As the United States faces yet another record-breaking fire season this year, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) cannot allow these prediction markets to offer unrestricted betting on wildfires.”

The nine Democratic senators, including Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, and New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, requested Selig answer the following questions by Aug. 14:

  • Is the CFTC considering prohibiting (Designated Contract Markets) from offering event contracts on wildfires as
    part of the rulemaking process currently underway, given they are against the public’s
    interest?
  • Does the CFTC have any plans to curb bets on wildfires on prediction markets in the
    United States? Does the agency have plans to address these contracts being offered on
    offshore markets?
  • Does the CFTC believe event contracts offered on the following wildfire-related events
    are in the public interest:
    • How long would a wildfire last?
    • How much would a wildfire destroy?
    • How much would a wildfire grow by?
  • Does the Commission have guidance or planned enforcement related to these wildfire
    event contracts?

Click here to read the full letter.