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The quest to build wildfire-resistant homes

Susie Cagle

April 18, 2023 |

MIT Technology Review |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

The shelter-in-place approach is slowly becoming a more common way to survive wildfires that are too violent and fast to evacuate. People using this method congregate in “defensible” buildings created with wildfire resilience in mind that sit in an area clear of flammable vegetation and fuel.

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Weathering the Future

Kiran Kapany David Murdock

April 12, 2023 |

PBS |

Video |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

Communities across the United States combat and adapt to extreme weather with local solutions. In California, drought-striken Orange County recycles wastewater into safe drinking water, and the Karuk Tribe prevents forest fires with controlled, cultural burns. A farmer in Iowa practices no-till farming to prevent soil erosion from heavy rain. Indigenous tribes on the Louisiana coast gather empty oyster shells and use them to create artificial breakwater reefs that slow down erosion from rising ocean waters.

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When wildfires choke California, this activist gets masks to those who need them most

Nina Thompson

March 29, 2023 |

Grist |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

The organization Mask Oakland collects donations to supply masks to overlooked or marginalized communities when wildfire smoke worsens the air quality in the California Bay Area.

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Mental Health: Saving our first responders

Jason Nguyen

February 06, 2023 |

Solutionaries |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

To help address trauma and PTSD among first responders, the Houston Fire Department employs a dedicated mental health specialist and offers a peer support program where firefighters are encouraged to share about their struggles. Officers are also trained to spot symptoms of mental distress so that the department can connect staff with resources and support.

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In California, women learn how to protect their ancestral lands with fire

Debra Utacia Krol

January 30, 2023 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Ishraamhírak, United States, California

The WTREX program runs prescribed burn camps to provide hands-on training for Indigenous women. This training allows them to reclaim parts of their culture and bring cultural burns back to their land in a safe learning environment.

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The Sacramento region grapples with the intersection of wildfires and affordable housing • Sacramento News & Review

Ken Magri

October 26, 2022 |

Sacramento News & Review |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Sacramento, California

After the Camp Fire that destroyed several homes and misplaced residents, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offered low-interest home loans and payment assistance for low-income families who wished to rebuild or repair a home after a wildfire. Several other organizations and agencies also emerged with solutions and research studies that present ways to reshape how Californians rebuild after wildfires, with attention paid to mitigating future fires and the destruction they cause.

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How one small fire district doubled its staff amid critical first responder shortage

Christina Giardinelli

October 10, 2022 |

KATU-TV |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Salem, Oregon

To combat severe first responder shortages, fire departments in Oregon received state funding for a paid apprentice program in which recruits receive a livable wage while training to make the career a more attractive option.

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California's fire crisis requires carceral reform and a Just Transition

Ray Levy Uyeda

September 28, 2022 |

Prism |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

A California law is making it easier for firefighters trained while incarcerated to get the emergency medical technician licensing required to work at municipal fire stations once released. The new law helps formerly incarcerated firefighters expunge felony convictions from their records that would otherwise prevent them access to licensing.

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Why beavers matter as the planet heats up

Kimberly Mas

September 01, 2022 |

Vox |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Camarillo, California

Beavers and the dams they build have been found to be tools against climate change as the planet’s temperature continues to rise. Dams slow water down and allow it to seep into the Earth, providing groundwater for humans, and also cools down both water and air temperatures. Beaver dams also create wetland ecosystems that are practically resistant to wildfires.

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How a high-risk California town learned to live with fire

Hilary Beaumont

August 22, 2022 |

Al Jazeera |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Topanga, California

Residents of a California town with a high fire risk collectively increased the fire resistance of their homes through actions like brush removal, landscaping, and renovations.

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