wildfire

  • A person sprays water on a fire on a forest floor.

    There’s more than one way to cut wildfire risk

    Prescribed burning, restoration thinning, or a combination of both are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California.

  • A group in protective gear walk through a forest as a person in the front of the group tends a small fire.

    Will it get too hot for prescribed fires?

    Rising temperatures will cut the number of days when conditions are favorable for prescribed fires across the western US.

  • fire truck in forest

    Dead trees on forest floor helped fuel Sierra Nevada fire

    Old dead trees on the forest floor are a chief fuel driving wildfires in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, a study of the KNP Complex Fire shows.

  • A white cat walks past a burned car on a sidewalk.

    AI-powered maps could guide Maui fire recovery

    Detailed maps of the devastating fires in Maui could guide where postfire remediation activities should be prioritized.

  • A forest on fire at night.

    Wildfires, soil emissions increase air pollution in remote forests

    Nitrogen dioxide levels are on the rise in remote forest areas, and wildfire and soil emissions are likely the reasons why, according to a new study.

  • A woman rides a scooter through Chicago while wearing a facemask.

    Wildfire, farming air pollution may be worst for your brain

    Wildfires and agriculture and farming emissions may be the top sources of air pollution linked to increased risk of dementia, research finds.

  • Lightning strikes over a row of trees in the foreground.

    Dry lightning can spark wildfire even when it’s wet

    Dry lightning can spark wildfires even when conditions are wet, according to a new study.

  • A forest on fire with smoke turning the sky reddish-purple.

    Wildfire exposure after lung cancer surgery lowers survival

    People exposed to a wildfire within a year after having lung cancer surgery have significantly lower chances of survival, researchers report.

  • A California grey fox with a red belly walks through a forest and looks at the camera.

    Resilient animals returned quickly after 2018 megafire

    Just months after the 2018 Mendocino fire, animals began returning. "We were surprised that many species seem to be resistant [to the impacts of the fire]."

  • Two passengers stand in a railcar as it travels over a busy street under an entirely orange and yellow sky.

    What are the dangers of wildfire smoke?

    After wildfire smoke from Canada blanketed the East Coast of the US, experts explain the serious health risks smoke poses.

  • A fire in a dense forest.

    Wildfire risk goes up where trees and shrubs replace grasses

    When shrubs and trees replace grasses, spot fires spread. That makes wildfires more difficult to monitor, control, and suppress.

  • A forest on fire.

    Do wildfires spur bird and mammal biodiversity?

    Naturally fire-prone ecosystems tend to have more species of birds and mammals, according to a new study.