While the 2019 wildfire season has been significantly less destructive than recent years, there are still trouble spots across the West.

California: A wildfire northeast of Sacramento prompted evacuations and injured two firefighters this week.  Meanwhile, Cal Fire announced a red flag warning about hazardous weather conditions in Northern California that could lead to more wildfires.  Overall, however, state acreage burned in 2019 is down as much as 90% compared to the average over the past five years.

Wyoming: There are at least three wildfires burning across the state. The Fishhawk Fire west of Cody, first reported Monday, has charred more than 4,000 acres on what has been described as “challenging terrain.” Evacuation orders for rural cabins and a Boy Scout camp east of Yellowstone National Park were in place on Thursday.

Oregon: Investigators say a grass fire in Portland that damaged five buildings, destroyed 50 cars and forced people to flee their homes was intentionally set. Learn more about this unusual blaze.

Wildfires also lead to rejuvenation. The Bridger-Teton National Forest, for example, just completed its first-ever commercial mushroom hunting season. Mushroom growth explodes following wildfires, according to a Wyoming Public Media story, so the supervisor's office for the forest were ready for the influx of mushroom harvesters following the 2018 Roosevelt wildfire.

Northwest quakes: Two earthquakes hit around 170 miles west of the Oregon coast on Thursday, one week after a similar-sized quake west of Coos Bay. The Oregonian story noted that no damages had been immediately reported and the U.S. Geological Survey said there doesn’t appear to be any danger of a tsunami hitting state shores. More details.

Housing squeeze: The almost 900 residents of Gardiner sees tens of thousands of tourists pass through to enter Yellowstone National Park. That's the good news. The bad news, according to the Billings Gazette, is that a long-term housing shortage in the Montana town has been exaggerated by all those tourists. What's the solution?

Salmon Cannon's on target: You might have seen several memes and laughed at Stephen Colbert's late-night spoofing of the Salmon Cannon. But the tool developed by Whooshh Innovations that swiftly and safely moves fish from one body of water to another is no joke. In fact, the Spokesman-Review reports it is a key component of the Colville Confederated Tribes’ plans to reintroduce salmon to Washington's Upper Columbia and Spokane rivers.

Look back to see forward: This summer the Sesquicentennial Colorado River Exploring Expedition retraced John Wesley Powell’s historic journey down the Green and Colorado rivers. But rather than look back at Powell's bold (some would say foolhardy) trip, WyoFile reports the team of University of Wyoming scientists used the 70-day voyage of 1,000 river miles to look forward. Here’s how.

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