Notes from the IAFC’s WUI 2009 conference



We Americans, never quite comfortable with the Australian Leave Early or Stay and Defend (LEOSAD) concept to begin with, are less so now. The Victoria Fires that killed at least 173 people in southern Australia in February have given us, at least, pause as we consider applying this policy here.



But let me not generalize about Americans and take responsibility for myself. Among the first things I said to Keith Harrup,… Continue

Notes from the IAFC’s WUI 2009 conference



In my last blog post about WUI 2009, I mentioned how impressed I am with the fire service’s level of engagement in big-picture issues, exemplified by global climate change. This impression is due in large part to Timothy Murphy, deputy assistant director of the Fire and Aviation Directorate as the Bureau of Land Management, and his presentation on the 2009 Quadrennial Fire Review (QFR).



The QFR is a review of trends in… Continue

Notes from the IAFC's WUI 2009 conference



Qualifiers always preface responsible comments to a general audience about global warming, but it seems to me that we, the public and the fire service, are finally filing into a consensus along similar lines as the scientists. As proof: The qualifiers are more streamlined than ever, a mere bump before we’re off and rolling.



And so Dr. Faith Ann Heinsch from the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab began: “Climate change is a big topic… Continue

Last week I was lucky enough to spend several days at the IAFC's WUI 2009 conference in Reno, Nev., hearing from and mixing with the leaders in wildland fire.

I was introduced to several new concepts and many new people, and I took copious notes. Over the next few days, as I begin to digest it all, I'm going to report back on what all went down, as well as some of my thoughts.

Next: The WUI and climate change ...