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In Germany and other European countries, the climate has been noticeably warmer, paving the way for an increase in the number of forest fires and wildfires. To fight these fires, some countries use special firefighting vehicles suitable for battling vegetation fires on rough terrain; others employ standard firefighting vehicles, which are not suitable for off-road operations. Wolfgang Jendsch examines a selection of special fire vehicles designed for use in forest and wildland operations.

Each year, firefighters prepare mentally, physically and operationally for the tough demands that wildland fires present. While the mental, emotional and operational extremes are measured visibly through the actions of responders, extreme physical demands that lead to unseen medical conditions can occur without warning and go undetected during training or active fire engagement. For example, Rhabdomyolysis — a medical condition caused by the breakdown of muscle tissue that leads to the leaking of cellular chemicals into blood vessels — can occur. Bill Arsenault explores the causes, signs, symptoms and treatments of this condition that can result in renal failure.

One of the deadliest fires in California history, the Tunnel Fire, ignited the Berkeley-Oakland hills in 1991. Since then, many changes related to the urban wildland interface have occurred. Some are easy to spot; others are evident only to those in the know; and a few important actions have proven elusive. Kenneth Blonski, Cheryl Miller and Carol Rice take us on a tour of the area, visiting key landmarks and reviewing critical elements that have — or have not — changed. He notes that today, there is growing recognition that minimizing fire hazards in an existing community will always be challenging.

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