Are we trying to build another “Death Star” and is all of this something NIFC can’t do?
https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/press_releases/hickenlooper-padilla-sheehy-daines-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-create-national-wildfire-intelligence-center/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20–%20Today%2C%20U.S.%20Senators%20John,wildfires%20and%20handle%20wildfire%20recovery.
1 Like
This effort seems to ignore the existential crisis facing all of the Federal wildland agencies - working conditions are poor and people are leaving in droves! In my opinion, if we are in an era of government reinvention; instead of building infrastructure to help all the different (spiraling) Federal players share information and play better, they should put their efforts into consolidating all their programs into a single agency.
8 Likes
Lol so we think these fires will just go away with better intel? We will be more successful? Less private property destruction? Laughable
9 Likes
Why do they want to re-invent Boise ? Would it not be easier and less expensive to adapt Boise, if needed ?
5 Likes
And turning the responsibility in California to CalFire
4 Likes
Looking at the sponsors, it seems like the newest crop of wildfire technology venture capitalists are licking their chops.
Megafire Action’s COO is the former CEO of Interra, which is NIFC’s incumbent GIS/intel contractor, and Kate Dargan, Interra founder, is on the Megafire Action board of Directors.
Matt Weiner, who started Megafire Action also started the fire tech lobbying group that is one of the groups pushing this idea. Wildfire tech startups launch lobbying group - E&E News by POLITICO
6 Likes
I just think its funny to think the reason we have mega fires is because of a lack of intelligence or technology. Or the reason the fires are sooo big and destructive is because intel is disjointed. Sure it would be nice if we shared more but come on…
7 Likes
As suspected… WOW! The cussin & discusin around doing this type of thing has gone on for a long dang minute to say the least! This too - if hammered into existence - will be felt by a great many public sector troops & partners etc…
Fit for Purpose Wildfire Readiness Act of 2025.pdf (25.5 KB)
2 Likes
Here is an article about the potential benefits of merging USFS into the DOI.
https://medium.com/@Megafire_Action/one-department-for-wildfire-management-661f67032623
3 Likes
Just FYI.
This draft bill came straight out the the Fire Mitigation and Management Commission report.
The commissioners, your Representative, and your Senator need to hear your feedback.
1 Like
3 Likes
sadly nothing changes unless homeowners harden their homes. We have so much control over this.
6 Likes
The “WRAP ACT” Is it another deathstar? Is it a return to past poor practices? Is it good for #wethepeople?
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5182911-wildfire-response-and-preparedness-act-senate/
1 Like
30 minute response time? What’s the definition of that? Wheels rolling, visual of the fire by some means, etc.? Be interesting to see the details of this.
1 Like
Lol this is laughable.
1 Like
We can’t bomb our way to peace with wildfire, but a lot of folks who already made a fortune in the real business are getting into firewar profiteering. Anyone want to open a Fire Artillery taskbook?
1 Like
200k a year per bomber…good grief. It is a 90lb balloon.
Brain literally scrambled with emotion & ideas after watching the firedome clip. I know better than to poo-poo an idea that i might not see a ton a value in, so i wont. Perhaps this can be a tool even if i dont quite see it. Like i’m not thrilled with the idea of posting up artillery all over our public lands and not sure about shooting these things while responders are underneath them? Does it switch to rapid fire mode in a wind driven fire? What modeling are they using in their sim’s? When the AI starts picking up spots in the eve’s will it start lobbing rounds roof level or lower?? #sporty! Respectfully must say that the retired chief did NOT sell me with his thoughts on application & use in the field. I’m not sold on this or our creation of the Fire Industrial Complex and yet both exist so what do i kno…
2 Likes
I feel the same way. I’ve been in fire tech since 1999, mainly on the mapping side, and have seen enough carnage to know tech won’t ever be the magic bullet. It’s always hard for me to not just reject new ideas out of hand when they seem completely out of touch with the realities of the conditions under which most of our worst fire disasters unfold, but even the biggest wind storms die down, and a lot of structure losses occur after the main push, when we don’t have the resources to put out every smouldering mulch fire.
I usually come back to a root belief that aggressive fire suppression is at the core of our fuels and megafire crisis, and that we need to get better at living with fire. If new technology for asset protection was going to lead to a new paradigm of letting more fires burn in the wildlands, I’d be more supportive, but we all know this isn’t likely to happen.
2 Likes
does visual on a camera count?
2 Likes