This book is included in the Natural Disasters section.
Introduction Every summer thousands of wildland fires, both large and small, ignite across the U.S. The largest, most severe wildfires provide reporters with all the elements needed for exciting news stories: Crisis and conflict, drama and suspense, death and destruction. Wildfire stories also carry a readymade template for framing the story, identifying the main characters, and describing the unfolding events. However, wildfire stories often follow a standard script that sometimes verges on sensationalist hype and hysteria. This tendency is rooted in the dominant cultural attitude toward fire, and can be exacerbated by the intense commercial pressures of the news business. The net result may produce riveting stories, but this misses an opportunity to more accurately and fully inform the public with the whole story. In addition to being inaccurate and incomplete, year after year of the same boilerplate wildfire "shtick" is getting boring. This Reporter's Guide to Wildland Fire is intended to help improve the accuracy, quality, and value of press accounts of wildfire events. It is hoped that this Guide will inspire more alternative and investigative reporting on wildfire events as well as coverage of a broader array of important fire management issues beyond the typical focus on firefighting. This Reporter's Guide includes constructive criticisms of the typical problems of wildfire reporting: Overused angles, unexamined assumptions, ecological illiteracy, inaccurate terminology, biased sources, unasked questions, and underreported issues. These critiques are then followed by suggestions for new story angles, better word choices, more challenging questions, expanded information sources, and alternative issues to cover. Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) trusts that some journalists will be motivated to break out of the trite story line that, to-date, has framed the vast majority of wildland fire articles. Using the tips and tools in this Reporter's Guide to Wildland Fire will help journalists produce more powerful, informative, inspiring news stories that reflect the best ideals of the journalistic profession. Table of Contents Section I: Introduction Section II: Incendiary Rhetoric: Getting Beyond Hype and Hysteria War Metaphor Catastrophe Mentality Usual Suspects: Fire as Villain, Homeowners as Victims, Firefighters as Heroes Section III: Fireside Chats: Getting Beyond Official Sources for Information and Interviews Wildland Firefighters Fire Scientists and Fire Ecologists Local Homeowners and Community Members Small Business Owners Conservation Volunteers and Timber Workers Section IV: Burning Issues: Essential Fire Ecology Terms and Concepts Fire Ecology Fire Triangle and Fire Environment Fire Behavior and Fire Effects Fire Risk and Fire Hazard Fire Types: Ground, Surface, Crown Fires Fire Intensity and Fire Severity Fire Management Fire Regimes Fire Return Interval Fire-Adapted Species Section V: Blowing Smoke, Venting Heat, or Shedding Light? Myths Versus Facts Myth: Firefighters Can Physically Put Out Large Wildfires Myth: We Can Prevent Wildfires or Fireproof Forests Myth: Large Wildfires are Caused by High Fuels Loads and Dense Forest Stands Myth: Commercial Logging Helps Prevent Wildfires Myth: Livestock Grazing Helps Prevent Wildfires Myth: Road-building Helps Prevent Wildfires Myth: Recent Summers Have Been the Worst Fire Seasons in History Myth: Most Wildfires Burn in Densely Forested Areas of National Forests Myth: There Are Only Two Responses to Wildfire: Totally Suppress It or Let It Burn Section VI: Smoke Reports: Covering Underreported Issues Risks to Firefighter Safety: Near Misses Taxpayer Costs of Fighting Fire Environmental Impacts of Firefighting Benefits of Prescribed Burning and Wildland Fire Use Role of Climate Change in Prevalence of Large Wildfires Role of Past Commercial Logging and Livestock Grazing on Wildfire Section VII: All the Words Fit to Print: New Fire Management Terminology Section VIII: Questioning Authority: Asking Critical Questions of Government Fire Officials Firelines Retardants Firing Operations (e.g. Burnouts and Backfires) Fire Costs Suppression Strategy and Rationale Post-Fire Rehabilitation Section IX: Conclusion Section X: Comprehensive Glossary of Wildland Fire Management Terms and Concepts End of Preview.
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