Wildfires

Smoke rises up from a peat-land fire in Pekanbaru, Riau province, on February 1st, 2018, one of 73 detected hotspots causing haze on the island of Sumatra. The haze is an annual problem in Indonesia caused by fires set in forest and on carbon-rich peatland in Indonesia to clear land for palm oil and pulpwood plantations.

Commodity-driven deforestation is most responsible, with farming and forestry also playing a major role in the global tree cover loss.

By Rachel Fritts

A woman dressed as a tree poses after marching at Rise for Climate in San Francisco on September 8th, 2018.

Environment

Local leaders from around the world convene at this week's Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.

By Lucia Graves

Puerto Rican residents carry water and Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) received from FEMA about two weeks after Hurricane Maria swept through the island on October 5th, 2017, in San Isidro, Puerto Rico.

Environment

A new report looks at how the government responded to a quick succession of hurricanes and wildfires last year.

By Francie Diep

A firefighting helicopter flies over a wildfire raging in the town of Rafina near Athens, on July 23rd, 2018. At least five people have died and more than 20 have been injured as wildfires tore through woodland and villages around Athens on Monday, while blazes caused widespread damage in Sweden and other northern European nations.

Environment

The Trump administration has posited that more active management of forests could help prevent future fires, but the science doesn't back that up.

By Derek E. Lee

Destroyed properties in Redding, California.

Environment

After fleeing the Carr Fire, survivors ask: What did they leave behind?

By Alissa Greenberg

Newly constructed homes dot a charred hillside in El Dorado County, California.

Environment

A changing climate, increasingly destructive fires, and disappearing insurance policies have left homeowners wondering how much risk is too much.

By Jackie Botts

The Lede

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Firefighters battle the Medocino Complex Fire on August 7th, 2018, near Lodoga, California.

You Might Have Missed

California considers mandating publicly held companies to include women on their boards of directors, a judge stymies the Trump administration's deportation efforts, and the Mendocino Complex Fire makes history.

By Rebecca Worby

Environment

There are also major wildfires in five other states.

By Emily Moon

A burning home is reflected in a pool during the Carr fire in Redding, California, on July 27th, 2018.

Dispatches

A collection of some of our most important and timely stories, from a look at the major fires burning across California to a dispatch from Arizona in an especially deadly year for those attempting to cross the border.

A firefighter extinguishes flames while battling the Carr fire on July 30th, 2018, near Redding, California.

Environment

California climatologists fact-check the president's tweets on fire and water.

By Emily Moon

Environment

A selection of recent Pacific Standard stories on wildfires and their consequences.

By Rebecca Worby

Fire trucks pass by approaching flames during the Carr fire near Whiskeytown, California, on July 27th, 2018.

Environment

One idea for a long-term fix: Communities could designate clean air centers where residents can spend time in filtered air for free.

By Francie Diep

A firefighter tries to control a back burn as the Carr Fire continues to spread toward the towns of Douglas City and Lewiston near Redding, California, on July 31st, 2018.

Environment

Wildfires in the state are getting bigger and more costly.

By Francie Diep

A view of homes that were destroyed by the Carr Fire on July 27th, 2018, in Redding, California.

Environment

Fires have already scorched nearly 300,000 acres in the state this year.

By Emily Moon

Firefighters watch as an air tanker drops fire retardant over the Ferguson Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest, near Yosemite National Park, on July 21st, 2018.

The Week in Photos

Smoke from the fire has created dangerous air-quality conditions in Yosemite Valley.

By Emily Moon

Environment

An aerial view shows damage caused by a wildfire near the village of Mati, near Athens, on July 24th, 2018.

By Pacific Standard Staff

Smoke from the Ferguson Fire hangs over the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal, Yosemite National Park, California, on July 21st, 2018.

Environment

Parts of Yosemite National Park will close as firefighters battle the Ferguson Fire, which has burned since July 13.

By Jack Herrera

Firefighters watch as flames from the County Fire climb a hillside in Guinda, California, on July 1st, 2018.

Environment

With more than 50 active wildfires burning across the American West, this summer is off to a fiery start.

By Emily Moon

Farm employee Zebulon Siegel holds salvaged produce at Oak Hill Farm following the 2017 fires in Sonoma County, California.

New Landscapes

New findings could help unravel the larger mystery of how pollution affects produce.

By Sophie Yeo

Smoke rises from the County Fire as it burns through dry brush on July 2nd, 2018, in Guinda, California.

Environment

A wildfire expert explains the fire's erratic behavior—and why we should be worried.

By Rebecca Worby

Firefighters work to clear debris following a fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, California, on December 3rd, 2016.

You Might Have Missed

Ghost Ship defendants take a plea deal, Seattle bans plastic straws, and Colorado's third-largest fire ever rages.

By Rebecca Worby

Alexi Hubbell Instagram photo of the Kramers' wedding with the 416 fire in the background

Environment

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.