Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

Logging could make California forests more resilient, but supply chain woes abound

Oct 19, 2022
Sawmills are poised to play a big role in making California more resilient to wildfires, but there may not be enough of them to go around.
The aftermath of the 2021 Dixie Fire, outside of Greenville, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California wants more utilities to bury electrical lines

Sep 15, 2022
A bill awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature would expedite permitting.
The Fairview Fire burns behind power lines near Hemet, California on Sept. 6, 2022.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

California's wildfire season is approaching. How is the state preparing?

Jul 11, 2022
"You can pay kind of a lot to get us where we need to be on the front end of a disaster...or you could pay twice or three times as much to rebuild and recover," said Mark Ghilarducci, Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
"You can pay kind of a lot to get us where we need to be on the front end of a disaster...or you could pay twice or three times as much to rebuild and recover," said Mark Ghilarducci,  Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
David Odisho via Getty Images

Incarcerated California youths, trained to fight wildfires, may now be able to find similar jobs once released

Jun 22, 2022
A recently passed law allows some young people trained in firefighting to have their records expunged, opening doors to employment.
Young men from Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp in the Sacramento-area foothills during spring training in May.
Lesley McClurg/KQED

Can winemakers salvage grapes tainted by wildfire smoke?

Jun 7, 2022
Scientists are looking at ways to determine if grapes from smoky areas can still be used, without adding an unpleasant ashy taste to wine.
Phil Crews at his Pelican Ranch Winery in Scotts Valley. Crews, an organic chemist at UC Santa Cruz, showed that a method pioneered in Australia can detect smoke's impact on California wines.
Jerimiah Oetting/KAZU News

California utility PG&E agrees to pay $55 million settlement to avoid fire prosecution

Apr 12, 2022
Attorneys said they decided to pursue a civil prosecution instead of criminal charges to "maximize the return to the fire victims rather than to seek criminal penalties."
The PG&E settlement money will go toward fire prevention but lets the company avoid criminal charges.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California's wildfire building codes make newer homes less likely to burn

Apr 1, 2022
But up to 14 million homes were built before fire safety measures took effect. Some insurers now offer discounts for risk reduction.
Jim and Ann Pesout's house in Northern California before it burned down in the Butte Fire in 2015.
Courtesy Jim and Ann Pesout

For public good, not for profit.

How quickly can communities recover from wildfires?

Oct 1, 2021
A new report looks at how resilient different parts of the country are to the threat of wildfires, and the long term displacement of people from their homes.
Firefighters battle the Thomas blaze in California in 2017.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

California orders insurers not to drop homeowners in wildfire-prone areas

Sep 21, 2021
With the risk of wildfire rising, it's become harder for some homeowners to find coverage.
A table and chairs remain in front of a Greenville, California, home destroyed by the Dixie Fire. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara wants insurers to reward residents who mitigate fire risk.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

As wildfires rage, infrastructure bill aims to mitigate their impact

Aug 10, 2021
As it stands, the bill would fund several agencies' efforts to predict, control and plan for blazes caused by climate change.
"You can pay kind of a lot to get us where we need to be on the front end of a disaster...or you could pay twice or three times as much to rebuild and recover," said Mark Ghilarducci,  Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
David Odisho via Getty Images