The Most Worrying Wildfires Burning in the U.S. Right Now
With more than 50 active wildfires burning across the American West, this summer is off to a fiery start.
Wildfires
Is It Safe to Eat Local Produce After a Wildfire?
New findings could help unravel the larger mystery of how pollution affects produce.
What We Know About the Spring Creek Fire, the Third-Largest in Colorado History
A wildfire expert explains the fire's erratic behavior—and why we should be worried.
Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Ghost Ship defendants take a plea deal, Seattle bans plastic straws, and Colorado's third-largest fire ever rages.
What Happens When a 'Wildfire Wedding Photo' Goes Viral
As climate change brings more frequent and more destructive natural disasters, more people must face the challenges of living life as scheduled on the edge of chaos.
How Does a Wildfire Affect a Marine Ecosystem?
A group of researchers and students took to the Santa Barbara Channel, while the Thomas Fire raged on shore, to learn how wildfires impact oceans.
California's Cannabis Industry Moves Out of the Shadows and Into the Flames
In the aftermath of California's devastating wildfires, cannabis producers are struggling to overcome decimated crops and a lack of federal support.
A Guide to Saving Your Town From Wildfires
These lessons from Colorado will help you get informed and involved.
Wildfires Mark the New Reality of Climate Change in 2017
As fire conditions intensify around the globe, scientists are helping countries prepare for a fiery new normal.
The Thomas Fire Is About to Become the Largest Wildfire in California History
As of Monday afternoon, the fire had swelled to 270,000 acres.
Could All That Ash From the Thomas Fire Be Making Temperatures Drop?
A reminder that wildfires have wide-ranging and surprising effects.
Frequent Fires Can Irreparably Harm Even the Most Resilient Ecosystems
Fires can be rejuvenating for some ecosystems. But as wildfires increase in frequency and severity, those ecosystems could see could their soil fertility and carbon capture depleted.
How the Thomas Fire Is Worsening the Housing Crisis for Vulnerable Students
Ventura and Santa Barbara County schools must prepare to help students who have been pushed into housing instability as a result of the wildfire.
In a Future With More Wildfires, There Will Also Be More Smoke
Here's what individuals and communities can do to protect themselves.
California Wildfires Are Harming the State's Most Vulnerable Populations
As Southern California's firestorm continues to grow and air quality plummets, what happens to one of the largest unsheltered homeless populations in the nation?
The California Wildfires Could Continue Until Christmas
Without rain, high temperatures will keep the smoke coming—and could spur new fire growth.
How Climate Change Fuels Wildfires in California
As dry conditions become the new normal, California could become a perpetual tinderbox.
California's October Wildfires Cost Insurers More Than $9 Billion
More than 21,000 insured homes and 2,800 businesses were damaged or destroyed in California in October.
The Thomas Wildfire Destroys Homes and Forces Evacuations Across Southern California
As of mid-morning on Tuesday, the fire was estimated at 45,000 acres, three times the size of Manhattan Island.
Ventura Wildfire Forces Tens of Thousands to Evacuate Overnight
The blaze that began Monday evening burned 45,000 acres overnight, and was still out of control Tuesday morning.
What Natural Disasters Can Do to Your Mind
How the recent California wildfires upended my very sense of time.
Three Underrated Ideas for Preventing Wildfire Devastation
Some advice from Californians who have lived through and studied the state's wildfires.
Viewfinder: Fighting Fires in California
An aircraft drops fire retardant over a brush fire in the Angeles National Forest on October 17th, 2017.
Prescribed Burning: Fighting Fire With Fire in the American West
Prescribed burning achieves the same end goal as fuel reduction, but without the manual effort of combing through the entire West.