John Fisher
johnafisher.bsky.social
John Fisher
@johnafisher.bsky.social
Retired Battalion Chief for a large SoCal agency. PSC1/FBAN. Two hundred years of tradition enhanced by progress. Student of fire and adjunct professor of ICS, wildland fire behavior, strategy, and tactics. More or less in line. Learn and love and grow.
Reposted by John Fisher
So-called "smart" devices are pushed heavily for the holidays, but be mindful of what you're opting that gift recipient into. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Think Twice Before Giving Surveillance for the Holidays
With the holidays upon us, it's easy to default to giving the tech gifts that retailers tend to push on us this time of year: smart speakers, video doorbells, bluetooth trackers, fitness trackers,
www.eff.org
November 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
There’s a lot of political commentary about Marjorie Taylor Greene resigning, but one important point is this: she entered Congress in 2021 with an estimated net worth of about $700,000, and is leaving in 2025 with a net worth of roughly $25 million.
November 22, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
“Instead of only fearing and fighting fire, we can befriend it” www.kqed.org/arts/1398372...
‘Good Fire: Tending Native Lands’ Burns Bright at OMCA | KQED
The exhibit uplifts an Indigenous-led movement to revive intentional, beneficial fires.
www.kqed.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Gmail users!!

They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.

Pass it on!!

www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Reposted by John Fisher
🔥New in IJWF:

Ohlson et al. map fine dead fuel moisture across a Colorado mixed-conifer forest using 1-h fuel samples from 80 plots. They reveal strong fine-scale spatiotemporal variability shaped by canopy, understory, and aspect.

🔗 doi.org/10.1071/WF25...

#IJWildlandFire
November 20, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Had a fatal entrapment with fire in pretty much that same spot in 2018 or so. People fly down that road.
The driver of a truck was taken to the hospital on Thursday morning after crashing into a tree in Mira Mesa, according to the San Diego Fire Department.
Driver of truck rescued after accident in Mira Mesa
The driver of a truck was taken to the hospital after crashing into a tree in Mira Mesa, according to the San Diego Fire Department
www.10news.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I just got an email with the subject, "Does your inbox stress you out?"

Yes. Because of crap like that. But thanks for the offer.
November 13, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Wildfire mitigation in New Mexico is down 53% since Trump took office

sfreporter.com/news/wildfir...
Wildfire mitigation in New Mexico is down 53% since Trump took office
sfreporter.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
“‘When we’re using fire on the landscape, you could really think about it more as a form of agriculture, said Diego Cordero. ‘After these big fires here in the hills, you see flowers you probably hadn’t seen in decades popping up everywhere. A lot of those plants are actually our crops.’”
Taming Fire: Controlled burns can be a boon to our landscape
Prescribed burns can be a boon to our landscape, burning fuel to help prevent future wildfires, and giving an opportunity to research everything from plant and animal resiliency to land management.
news.ucsb.edu
November 12, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Trump‘s brilliant plan of 50 year mortgages means that after your first 20 years making huge interest payments to a bank you will have paid down almost none of the principal and they will still own the house you are living in with 30 years to go. A scam from a career con man.
November 9, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Reposted by John Fisher
Colorado and Utah implement statewide wildfire codes in high-risk areas www.kunc.org/regional-new...
Colorado and Utah implement statewide wildfire codes in high-risk areas
Few states require building with fire-resistant materials, but some in the Mountain West are in the process of changing that.
www.kunc.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Still relevant: Study Finds Controlled Washington, D.C. Wildfires Crucial For Restoring Healthy Political Environment — theonion.com/study-finds-...
Study Finds Controlled Washington, D.C. Wildfires Crucial For Restoring Healthy Political Environment
WASHINGTON—Calling the process essential to preventing overgrowth and promoting renewal, a study released Tuesday by researchers at American University found that regular, controlled Washington, D.C. ...
theonion.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
NOAA retirees “volunteering” including one who is working as an “unpaid intern” in order to help. I would like to never again hear anyone bitch about civil servants’ work ethic tyvm.
Volunteers Step In to Help Understaffed NOAA Track Hurricane Melissa
www.nytimes.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Democrat voters: "I agree with you on 9 of your 10 policies but dislike this one so I will vote independent or not vote at all."

Republican voters: "I know you are 100lbs of leeches bundled in a suit and you have no policies but I will vote for you because you are Republican."
October 26, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Rat cat alley roll them bones. Need that cash to feed that jones
And the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
October 26, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
NEW: Weather models were performing worse ahead of a devastating storm in Alaska compared to a year ago. As one scientist @ecmwf.int put it, "the fact that all the models mis-captured this event tells us something." From me + @joewertz.bsky.social (gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Deadly Alaska Storm Hit After a Month of Wider Forecast Errors
Scientists say outages at federal monitoring sites in the state may have contributed to confusion over the storm’s predicted track.
www.bloomberg.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
Update: Marine official tells KPBS no munitions will be fired from Navy ships Saturday.

It's 155mm Howitzer rounds firing into designated ranges.

Recap: NO freeway closure, NO missiles from Navy ships over the 5.
October 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
I've just received confirmation from the Department of Defense that there are no planned closures of I-5 this weekend for the 250th birthday celebration of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. This is good news for the communities surrounding the base.
As the proud representative for Camp Pendleton, I’ll always honor our Marines—the best fighting force in the world. But reports of multi-hour I-5 closures on Friday and Saturday raise serious concerns.
October 16, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
1/ 🧵 California is under pressure to rethink wildfire planning. Experts argue the state’s current approach is reactive, not strategic. A wee thread:
www.kqed.org/science/1998...
California Needs a New Approach to Wildfire Planning, Experts Say. Cost Is an Issue | KQED
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have pushed California toward more strategic planning to prevent the worst wildfire damage, saying it would cost too much unbudgeted money.
www.kqed.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
The J.M. Smucker Co. is suing Trader Joe’s, alleging the grocery chain’s new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are too similar to Smucker’s Uncrustables in their design and packaging. https://cnn.it/46TFtpx
Smucker sues Trader Joe's, saying its new PB&J sandwiches are too similar to Uncrustables | CNN Business
The J.M. Smucker Co. is suing Trader Joe's, alleging the grocery chain's new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are too similar to Smucker's Uncrustables in their design and packaging.
cnn.it
October 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by John Fisher
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.
It's the season for prescribed fire - an important step to reducing fuel loads in our forests.

This article from Ecology & Society focuses on RX burns in Greece and how proactive prevention can get lost as a method to reduce catastrophic wildfires.

ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss3/a...
October 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
A must-read from the @washingtonpost.com's @sadbumblebee.buzz on the cultural burning resurgence taking place in N California. We have a terrible relationship with fire, but the Karuk, Yurok and others show us that a better relationship is possible.

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solu...
How indigenous practices can help protect forests
The Post followed cultural burning practices, an Indigenous tradition now permitted under California law and used to help protect forests from wildfires.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
In June, the @washingtonpost.com sent me and @byaliceli.bsky.social to witness cultural burns in California. We learned how they encourage beneficial vegetation, reduce wildfire risk, and provide traditional food and craft sources for tribes in the Klamath region.

🎁: wapo.st/3J7BQTL
How indigenous practices can help protect forests
The Post followed cultural burning practices, an Indigenous tradition now permitted under California law and used to help protect forests from wildfires.
wapo.st
October 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by John Fisher
New article alert 🚨 for the #FireEcology Journal! "Near real-time indicators of burn severity in the western U.S. from active fire tracking" #SNFECO 🔥
Read it here: ow.ly/hNYs50X7UqS
October 14, 2025 at 2:47 PM