When fire season declines in the western U.S., it picks up in the east. Dry October & Novembers are wildfire season before winter freeze, especially in Appalachia. Same solutions: more prescribed fires, cultural burning, fuel treatments & public awareness of risk. www.wusa9.com/article/news...

While at Teakettle two weeks ago, the camera crew documenting the fire prefaced a question about the 3200 ac prescribed burn as it being a really large Rx fire. I came home from that trip and this was getting buttoned up. The mean Rx size here is larger than 3200 ac.

Still relevant: Study Finds Controlled Washington, D.C. Wildfires Crucial For Restoring Healthy Political Environment — theonion.com/study-finds-...

New Mexico experienced the 7th warmest October on record, highlighted by above average warmth all across the state. Northwest New Mexico had one of the wettest Octobers on record, thanks to the remnants of two tropical systems. #NMwx

Installed sensors at Teakettle this weekend. I broke down 5 times. The District Ranger requested that I tell ‘the truth’ about the fire and the forest. Here you go…

Please, oh please. How much time is wasted on pdf forms where the form developer did not create a form that is fillable with reader.

I think it’s important to pitch in for my community. I now have a side hustle as a lime scooter relocation specialist. If you grab the battery handle and the rear fender, you can get a good grip…

Following up on Greg Weaver’s Fresnoland article on Teakettle, this podcast mentions “Tribal burn collaboratives,” but there’s another story or two yet to be reported about the Sierra-Sequoia Burn Cooperative’s continuing ties to Teakettle. open.spotify.com/episode/7he5... @fresnoland.bsky.social

Hit the 5000 mile mark for the year on my way to work today. Tells you just how bad this past winter was since I was riding and not skiing.

Yet another reminder that 1) wildfire is inevitable and 2) if we don’t implement proactive wildfire management actions (such as prescribed fire), our forests are toast. 🔥

Unfortunately, on federal lands this year we are missing another prescribed fire window because of the government shutdown. We are frittering away opportunity every time we put up additional roadblocks to the use of prescribed fire.

Excellent piece by Greg Weaver @fresnoland.bsky.social reporting the problems that led to the loss of Teakettle. We need to future-proof our land management agencies so that internal bureaucratic process and structure does not continue to cause inaction. fresnoland.org/2025/10/14/g...

Another excellent day on the trail.

Current status

👇

“collaborators were awarded over $5M to launch a prescribed fire across 3,300 acres…it would have been a key demonstration to show that planned fires can burn safely at a large scale…The groups were scheduled to start building fire breaks in September…But then the Garnet Fire ignited Aug. 24…”

🌟 Help uphold the high standards of research we’re proud to publish & become a journal reviewer!✅ Advance your career ✅ Stay up to date with the latest developments ✅ Enjoy rewards & recognition 💚 Discover more publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org/questions/vo... #PeerReview #EnvironmentalScience

It turns out that if you ask the Delta chatbot why their app sucks, it connects you with customer service after it states “sorry, I’m still learning”. A hard lesson to learn.

The problem with the professional malpractice that causes 536 individuals to shut our government down is that most Americans have no idea. My barber, students in my class, ... Go out an tell people . Today I was lecturing on fire so I told them what it means to be a firefighter and not get paid.

We have done a fantastic job of marring some fantastic landscapes. I give humans 1 star.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats tearing it up in Taos. First show for me. What a fantastic group of players.

It sure would be nice if software companies, rather than adding AI to their poorly functioning software, they spent the energy to make it work consistently.

This. Got rid of a vehicle and replaced it with an e-cargo bike in 2020. There is a 10” height difference between us, but the cockpit size means we only need two seat posts and both of us can ride it. We’ve put ~5000 miles on it.

The 2025 BC fire season area burned (872k ha) has moved into 5th place with the recent fire activity. This means that the top 6 fire seasons have been since 2017 (records go back to 1950) Area burned-red bars (2017-2025 graph below) far exceeds the green bars (1950-2016). Climate change in action.

Turns out there are more than 2000 other people that also think leadership on the Sierra National Forest is not up to the task. www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/wildfir...

I heard that in the process of prepping this, they only found one sequoia seedling and that tells you everything you need to know about this forest’s commitment to managing this grove. There is ample research and management evidence that these trees need fire to reproduce.

A fire raging through the Sierra National Forest has burned through part of a grove of giant sequoias. @lilaseidman.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/... @latimes.com

The Garnet Fire has burned through a place I have worked since 2002. A place I hold dear. We knew this wasn't a matter of if, but when. Unfortunately the leadership on the Sierra National Forest didn't have the same urgency that we did. My eulogy for Teakettle. www.hurteaulab.org/blog/a-eulog...

Our op-ed in the Santa Fe New Mexican today highlights the potential losses from closure of the nine US Forest Service Regional Offices, namely local leadership knowledge and capacity, experienced people, and priceless documentary records: www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_v...

Finishing up a week of meetings with friends and colleagues in Montpellier. I really enjoy walking around the city center, especially at night.

This firefighter arrived in the US at age 4, has been here for 19 years, was on track to legal status, and was on a crew trying to contain a major blaze (in Washington state, vs Oregon, fwiw.) h/t @joshuajfriedman.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

This is the single biggest problem with our food system. It is absurdly inefficient. Less than half of what we grow ends up on our plates. Great work by Paul West and other Project Drawdown colleagues. www.newscientist.com/article/2493...

Well then. Everyone within earshot of me for the past 48 hours must think I’m a genius. www.sciencealert.com/swearing-is-...

Re-posting here for the late crowd. We are hiring a new TT position in Data Science/Biostatistics. Please apply or re-skeet!

I should be sitting in my office unworried about this because of a recently completed 3000 ac prescribed burn. Yet, forest management malpractice means the burn has yet to be completed. If Teakettle cooks off, I’ll be shining a spot light on the individuals responsible.

If you missed the deadline— it has been extended to August 31. Confirmed via the original USDA news release (www.usda.gov/about-usda/n...). See the Virginia Wilderness Committee on for example comments: www.vawilderness.org/news/letters...

The mid-story cottonwoods shutting down. I’m guessing some of these won’t make it.

We need to fast forward to week 3 of the semester, when 40% of the students stop showing up.

We saw Tedeschi Trucks Band this past Tuesday. What an incredible group of musicians.

New paper: ‘Soil inoculation improves tree seedling growth in substrates containing bitumen, but the effect varies by species and inoculum source’ led by James Franklin @jamesfranklin, a past PhD from my group. 🧵 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

We did an outreach event in Mora today on our reforestation modeling work. Microclimate sensors, thermal camera, the works. Lorraina did a great job explaining the science to a bunch of people.

🔥 Our new research in @science.org shows that people are increasingly exposed to fires globally, driven by overlapping shifts in where #fires occur and where people live. But changes in exposure vary hugely by region and are shaped by different population dynamics.👇 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The cottonwoods in the bosque in Albuquerque are in trouble. The mid-story trees start senescing their leaves a couple of weeks ago. The largest tree are now starting to turn. The drought and heat are bad this year.

Nothing will make your eyes water like popping the top off the food processor with 8 Thai chilis, 8 cloves garlic, and 4 shallots in it.

The University of Arizona is hiring a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor in Physical Geography! Research specialities could include wildfire, climate and water resources, and/or natural hazards, amongst others. Please apply and join us! arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Preparing for The semester.

Being forced to re-take defensive driving. 'Did you know that 30% of drivers are distracted?' Someone made that number up because my observation while on my bike is that 60-70% of drivers are staring at their phones.

The 2025 year-to-date (to 7 August) total estimated #wildfire emissions for Canada (225 megatonnes of carbon (Mt C)), have overtaken 2024's annual total (223 Mt C) to be 2nd highest year since 2003, behind 2023. The total is likely to keep rising with 3 more weeks of summer still to come.

The Painted Lady. The site of the first brothel in Albuquerque and the location for tonight’s public outreach event on wildfire.

When I try and access journal websites to read papers, they always ask me if I'm a robot. For everyone else, do they ask you if you are a human?