IN THE NEWS: IRE and NICAR offer data, stories and tipsheets to help cover the latest
Other resources for covering the news
Resources for covering wildfires
 (Oct 22, 2007)

IRE and NICAR have put together some resources to help journalists cover wildfires. Those include databases that can add perspective to stories, tipsheets with timely information to help journalists find even more resources, already published stories about previous fire disasters and Web sites to help journalists make their deadlines.

Data from the IRE and NICAR Database Library Information from IRE publications
Stories available from the IRE Resource Center Tipsheets available from the IRE Resource Center
Internet Resources How to contact IRE and NICAR


Databases
Storm events
The official U.S. government storm events database also contains records of major wildfires, including, in many cases, detailed narratives. Available through the IRE and NICAR Database Library, it covers 1950 through February 2005. Some of the other events tracked: tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms, droughts, snowstorms, flash floods, hail, temperature extremes, strong winds, fog and avalanches. Fields in the database include: date and time the event began; event type; states and counties hit; property and crop damage; injuries and fatalities.

Federal assistance
After every disaster, the federal government provides assistance money. In a given fiscal year, that amounts to millions. The federal assistance database, for example, lists U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster loans to farmers. With this database you will be able to track federal assistance -- grants, loans or insurance -- and see where and how much money the government is obligating to organizations and projects.

SBA disaster loans
The Small Business Administration is a big player in assisting the owners of homes and businesses after a declared disaster. The database includes such information as the individuals' name or company name, the mailing address, a code for the type of disaster that occurred, the date the disaster loan was approved for an SBA guarantee, the amount of the loan, and, for businesses, whether the loan was fully paid or charged off (went bad).

Individual Contract Action Reports
Search this data from the Government Services Agency for federal contracts awarded to a particular business: a great place to start when looking at contracts awarded to companies in your area, or work being performed there. This could be relevant as FEMA and other agencies contract with local businesses in clean up and repair.

Federal Audit Clearinghouse Database
The Single Audit database is a great tool for journalists to examine local nonprofits and state or local government agencies that receive substantial assistance from the federal government.

To order the data, call the Database Library at 573-884-7711 or download an order form.

Stories
To order stories from the IRE Resource Center, send e-mail to rescntr@ire.org or call us at 573-882-3364.

Story #22142: The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif., looked at where new single-family home building permits were issued in the wake of the 2003 wildfires in San Bernadino and Riverside counties. The investigation revealed that several thousand permits were issued in areas considered a high fire threat,. (July 2005)

Story #21481: The Sun in San Bernardino, Calif., investigated the deaths of 16 people killed when heavy rains caused an avalanche of mud and rock in the San Bernadino Mountains. The report found politicians carelessly put thousands of lives at risk by pushing for development in areas prone to floods and fires. The report looks at the corrupt political history that resulted in the current situation, as well as potential problems that could occur in the future. As more and more people move into the San Bernadino-Riverside area, the risk of future disasters becomes even greater. (June 2004)

Story #20979: An investigation by the (Helena, Mont.) Independent Record looks at firefighting systems nationwide, finding that they are overburdened. The reporter looked at Forest Service's accounts to find gross mismanagement of finances leading to the ineffectiveness of the system. A look at a fire in Lincoln, Mont., illustrates the flaws in the system.
Author(s): Eve Byron; Year: 2003

Story #18592
The Yakima Herald-Republic investigates the death of four U.S. Forest Service firefighters on July 10 in the Chewuch River Canyon, revealing "serious safety problems within the agency." The newspaper found "commanders at the scene broke Forest Service rules in fighting the fire and followed a pattern of safety violations going back to the 1994 Storm King fire in Colorado that killed 14." This story won a certificate in the 2001 IRE Awards.

Story #19037
Wildfires in Colorado are posing a larger threat to people in recent years. The Denver Post reports in the 1990s that so many people moved into the dense forests of the state that it now holds almost 1 million people. The amount of people in this dangerous region makes it more difficult for firefighters to do their job.

Story #18872
A CBS News investigation discovers that "the U.S. Forest Service had consistently ignored calls to revamp its standard-issue fire shelter," which had contributed to the deaths of several firefighters in recent years. The story reports on the efforts of a fire shelter designer, whose brother firefighter died inside a shelter, to convince the federal authorities to try out a new superior shelter. A major finding is that one of the deceased firefighters from the 2001 Thirtymile Fire in Washington state died from inhaling fumes produced when the interior of the fire shelter melted.

Story #18721
The Seattle Times investigates the death of four firefighters who "were trapped by wildfire in a pinched valley in north-central Washington State" on July 10, 2001. Numerous safety rules were ignored, and officials knew that firefighter fatalities follow a pattern, the Times reports. The main finding is that "a firefighting culture in which extinguishing fires -- not safety -- remains the top priority."

Story #18294
National Journal looks at the governmental policy in fighting wildfires. "The nation's forests have become unnaturally -- and dangerously -- overgrown as a result of 100 years of overly aggressive fire suppression," reports the magazine. The story follows the battle between "environmental advocates who want to preserve the ecological values of the forests and timber industry supporters who are pushing for more logging on federal funds." The report includes statistics on the number of fires and the burned forests acreage in the 1990s.

Story #16720
The News Tribune looks at the aftermath of a recent windstorm that blew down millions of Minnesota's oldest trees. The downed trees have created the perfect conditions for wildfires that could become bigger than any in the state's recent history.

Story #13021
New Times investigates the Rio fire in north Scottsdale, Ariz. The investigation reveals that Rural/Metro, the private corporation the provides fire protection for the city of Scottsdale, initially sent only one fire engine to put out the wildfire. The blaze quickly grew out of control. Nearly 500 firefighters from the Valley area fought to contain the blaze. When the fire was extinguished, there was another blaze that Rural/Metro had to contend with: the long time feud with the Valley's municipal fire fighters. Many of the city's firefighters claimed that Rural/Metro should have sent more men and more machines to the initial emergency call.

Story #9166
KXLY-Spokane reports on the culpability overhead electrical power lines that were allowed to be overgrown had in a series of wildfires around the Spokane area.

Story #10050
The Orange County Register reveals that not only the severity of the fire but also human error contributed to the tremendous damage of a series of California wildfires; city councils placed politics over public safety, senior state officials did not understand their own emergency directives, requests for critical air support go lost in the chain of command.

Story #866
The Star-News of Pasadena checks out U.S. Forest Service food purchases during a 12-day wildfire emergency and finds food products were bought at inflated prices, prompting a federal investigation.

Search for more stories in IRE's Resource Center.

Tipsheets

Tipsheet #2464: This tipsheet discusses how to prepare for covering wildfires. Shulyakovskaya lists websites to visit before fire season starts, in order to know what resources are available for covering the disasters in your area. Some of the websites include the National Interagency Fire Center, and the Wildland Fire Assessment Program.

Tipsheet #1540: This tipsheet reveals that census data can be key to stories about proximity, inequality, government resources and per capita spending, ethnic identity, and children and family issues. The handout provides examples of stories that newspapers have done on wildfires, transit services, police deployment and other. (Paul Adrian, 2002)

Tipsheet #2131: This tipsheet offers ways reporters can prepare to cover wildfires before the fire season begins. This tipsheet includes a list of potential data sources and experts. (Natalya Shulyakovskaya, 2004)

Tipsheet #2285: George Watson of The San Bernardino County Sun compiled a list of online resources for reporters covering wildfires. His Web sites include those who offer mapping and photographs, private companies who work with fire authorities, drought analysis information, and the California Forestry and Fire Protection site. (George Watson, 2005)

Search for tipsheets in IRE's Resource Center.
To order tipsheets from the IRE Resource Center, send e-mail to rescntr@ire.org or call us at 573-882-3364.

IRE Publications
The Investigative Reporter's Handbook, Brant Houston's Computer-Assisted Reporting book and other helpful publications are available from IRE and NICAR.

A section of Chapter 9, Investigating Government: Law Enforcement, in The Investigative Reporter's Handbook deals with arson.

In the May/June 2005 issue of The IRE Journal, Brad Branan of the Tucson Citizen writes about fire response times. While not specifically dealing with wildfires, this may be of relevance as fires spread from populated areas into the wilderness.

Uplink: Raquel Dixon writes about how two databases can help in reporting on fires across the country. The National Interagency Fire Management Integrated Database holds information on forest fires and weather conditions that aid wildfire occurrences, and the National Fire Incident Reporting System reports.
Published: July/August 2001

IRE members can search the indexes of The IRE Journal and Uplink. Back issues of The IRE Journal and Uplink may be purchased for $10 each. There is an additional $10 user fee for nonmembers. Check with the Resource Center at 573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org for availability.

Web Links Stories after the fires
Nov. 12, 2003: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that many people whose houses burned in the Southern California wildfires were underinsured and that it is a situation that could happen in other regions.

For more information, contact:
Jeremy Milarsky
Database Library Director
IRE and NICAR
E-mail: jeremy@ire.org
Voice: 573-882-1982
Fax: 573-884-5544 		Beth Kopine
Research Director
IRE Resource Center
E-mail: beth@ire.org
Voice: 573-882-6668
Fax: 573-884-8151