Maui wildfires leave one vacationing couple in tears

One couple was in tears at the Oakland airport trying to get back to see if their home was still standing and their pets still were alive only to learn upon their arrival their house was destroyed and their pets dead.

U.S. faces wildland firefighter shortage; Cal Fire fully staffed

CalFire is at peak staffing levels, going into fire season, but other agencies aren’t nearly as well staffed. In comparison, the U.S. Forest Service has struggled to hire and retain firefighters in areas of the country where the labor pool is low, and pay isn’t competitive.

Cal Fire tests AI program for fighting wildfires

The artificial intelligence (AI) firefighting era has begun in California. To improve wildfire response times, Cal Fire and UC San Diego are testing a $24 million AI program they call ALERTCalifornia.org.