Trump administration falls behind on wildfire prevention with risky fire season ahead ^45.8%

KUOW Public Radio - By Lauren Sommer - 5/4/2026, 9:30 AM

With wildfires already burning and drought persisting across much of the U.S., fire experts are bracing for what could be an extreme fire season. The U.S. Forest Service is going into it having done far less work than in recent years to manage the dry, flammable vegetation that can fuel catastrophic fires. In 2025, the Forest Service... more

Communities are waiting on billions in disaster funding from the Trump administration ^41.6%

KUOW Public Radio - By Lauren Sommer - 4/10/2026, 4:35 PM

Negativity Bias 24% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 10.3% - Optimism Bias 8.7%

Placerville, Calif., bears all the markers of a community at risk of a wildfire. The city's rolling hillsides are dense with brush, which dries out during the hot summers. Older homes made of wood, which are more prone to igniting, are dotted throughout. "It's a perfect storm for devastation," says Tanya Harlow, wildfire resilience... more