Wildfires
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.
Why Is the U.S. Facing a Federal Firefighter Shortage?
The shortage is part of an ongoing dilemma as the government struggles to budget and plan for longer, more severe fire seasons.
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.
How Brian Fies Turned His Escape From the Tubbs Fire Into a Graphic Novel
The author and illustrator explains how seeing his home reduced to a "desolate plane" by the 2017 disaster inspired his latest book.
Unseasonal Warmth and Wildfires in the U.K. (in Photos)
People took advantage of the warmth, but along with the mild weather came the eruption of multiple wildfires.
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.
Could California Take Public Ownership of PG&E?
The debate around private ownership of essential utilities is becoming a national issue.
When Climate Change Hurts Companies Like PG&E, Consumers End Up Paying
Unless we change the way we hold corporations liable for their emissions, the costs of climate change will continue to burden the public.
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.
The Shutdown Has Stopped Critical Firefighter Training in the Western U.S.
Some states have halted training and may be underprepared for the 2019 fire season.
The Faulty Foundations of Trump's Threats to Withhold FEMA Funding From Wildfire Victims
Firefighters and climate scientists have pushed back on Trump's claims about wildfire management, month after month.
Our Best Environmental Stories of 2018
From climate change to industrial influence.
How Governmental Failure Amplified the Devastation of California's Carr Fire
Every level of government understood the dangers of a potential fire in the region but took few, if any, of the steps needed to prevent catastrophe.
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.
Urban Sprawl and Wildfires: A Dire Combination for Californians
It's not just climate change that's making the disasters worse, it's the increased building within areas deemed particularly vulnerable to fire.
Climate Change Is Making It Harder for Forests to Recover From Wildfires
A growing body of research suggests that, thanks to various environmental symptoms of climate change, America's forests are increasingly at a disadvantage when it comes to recovering from devastating wildfires.
The Trump Administration Wants to Roll Back Environmental Protections to Help Fight Fires
New farm bill provisions would eliminate environmental protections for forest management, without addressing the wildfires' biggest driver: climate change.
How Has the National Climate Assessment Changed Since 2000?
The latest assessment paints a bleak picture of the future.
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.
As Wildfire Smoke Fills the Air, Farmworkers Continue to Labor in the Fields
As fires clogged the air in Southern California, farmworkers continued to work, even as public-school students and others were told to stay home and indoors.
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.
Hot, Dry Weather Disrupts Countries Across the Globe (in Photos)
Record-high temperatures continue to exacerbate fire, drought, and other negative weather patterns around the world.