Fire on the Land (2020)

This workshop, held May 14-15, allowed attendees the opportunity to hear from experts regarding the ecological, economic, social, and public health impacts of wildfire. Participants gathered virtually for two days, and:

• Spoke with incident commanders about how the firefighting community is planning to adapt to Covid-19

• Heard from stakeholders and land managers about Montana’s 2017 Lolo Peak Fire, and how forest treatments shaped the impact of the fire.

• Talked with climate scientists about predictions and scenarios - are longer fire seasons and hotter summers the new normal?

• Spoke with public health experts about smoke exposure in rural and urban communities, how duration and density contribute to public health crises, what we’re just beginning to understand about the long-term impacts of exposure, and what can be done to mitigate these impacts.

• Heard from community advocates and agency employees who are educating the public about proactive steps they can take - from landscape maintenance to fire-savvy building techniques.

• Heard from fire scientists about the latest research and modeling  - and how new breakthroughs are shaping our understanding of how fire behaves and how communities can manage risk.

• Discuss what we as journalists can do better in our coverage of wildfire.