Wildfires

Arroyo Grande Hotshots firefighters are seen behind the flames of a backfire they are setting to battle the French Fire on Aug. 24, 2021, near Wofford Heights, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

More federal dollars coming from climate law for Western wildfire management

BY: - January 19, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend nearly $500 million on projects to reduce wildfire risk in 11 areas in Western states, the department said Thursday. The new funding, $490 million, comes from Democrats’ budget, climate and taxes law that passed last year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a call with reporters. The funding […]

Smoke rises from a controlled burn that escaped and became a wildfire in 2015 at Wind Cave National Park. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)

Climate change is pushing wildfire smoke farther east in South Dakota

BY: - January 3, 2023

South Dakotans like to brag about their clean air, and for the most part, they’re right. But that boast isn’t as true as it once was, especially in the half of the state to the right of the Missouri River on a map – a region known as East River. Five East River cities have […]