Wildfire Season Is Here, and More Homeowners Are Losing Insurance
California homeowners with mortgages are required by law to have home insurance, leaving many to scramble to find a new plan before a potentially devastating blaze hits.
California Fires
The Federal Government Won't Pay Back California's Firefighting Costs. What Happens When the Next Fire Hits?
California says it's owed $9.3 million for fighting fires on federal lands. The Forest Service says the state is overbilling.
Six Months Later, How Are the Communities Affected by the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire Recovering?
Both Butte County and Los Angeles County are still dealing with the social, environmental, and financial costs of the fires.
Californians Will See the Costs of Climate Change in Their Electric Bills
Citing growing wildfire risk, the state's private utilities are attempting to increase their rates significantly.
Heavy Winter Precipitation May Not Impact Fire Season in California
Wet weather may seem like good news for the drought-plagued state, but a new study finds that it will have minimal effects on wildfire season.
Did the Government Shutdown Make Fire Season More Dangerous for California?
The five-week partial government shutdown fell during a critical window for fire-prone states to lessen the impact of the coming fire season through prescribed burns.
PG&E Didn't Start the Fire—This Time. But Human-Caused Fires Are on the Rise.
The combination of a warming planet and rapid urbanization near wildlands has provided kindling with a spark.
As PG&E Files for Bankruptcy, Who Is Liable for California's Wildfires?
Climate change and development have undoubtedly increased fire risk in California, but if utilities don't pay the damages, someone else will.
The Camp Fire's Costs Force an Insurance Company Out of Business
The Central Valley company faced $64 million in claims from the thousands of people who lost their homes in the Camp fire.
Climate Change Does More Than 'Maybe Contribute a Little Bit': Debunking Trump's California Wildfire Claims
What research tells us about the impact of climate change, forest management, and more on California's fires.
California Must Better Prepare for the Inevitability of Future Fires
Both governments and people tend to adopt only short-term responses to wildfire dangers that don't necessarily reduce risk effectively—it's time for that to change.
Trump May Be Pushing to Clear-Cut California's Forests to Manage Fires. Here's Why That's Dangerous.
Studies show that removing trees actually make fires more intense, wreaking further havoc on both human and wildlife habitat.
What You Need to Know About the 2018 Wildfire Season So Far
A selection of recent Pacific Standard stories on wildfires and their consequences.
Is It Safe to Eat Local Produce After a Wildfire?
New findings could help unravel the larger mystery of how pollution affects produce.
Extreme Fire Conditions Grip California
The 2018 fire season in California is already shaping up to be worst than last year's, which cost the state a record $10 billion in damages.
The California Wildfires Could Continue Until Christmas
Without rain, high temperatures will keep the smoke coming—and could spur new fire growth.