There’s a strong case to be made for private landholders to conduct their own cool burns, for dual purposes of reducing fuel load and restoring the ecology.
Ongoing rescue operation by firefighters burned residential buildings in Valencia, Spain - 23 February 2024.
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Following the tragic, devastating apartment block fire in Eastern Spain, questions are being asked about fire safety, and how it can keep pace with new technology and construction techniques.
Many of the people caught in the wildfire that swept through Paradise, Calif., in 2018 were older adults.
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Alarmingly, about half the people exposed to wildfires in Washington and Oregon were those least able to afford to protect their homes, evacuate safely and recover.
Adapting to our fiery future means preparing for the risks and not putting out every low-risk wildfire, writes the author of a new book on learning to live with fire.
Hawaii has very dry landscapes, such as parts of the west coast of Oahu.
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Maui County issued an ‘unsafe water’ alert and urged precautions. Residents can face several toxic hazards from fires, as an expert in the chemical risks from fires explains.
Fires burn in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 8, 2023.
Zeke Kalua/County of Maui via AP
For decades, construction companies have used fireproofing chemicals associated with risks to human health and the environment. We need safer alternatives.
Smoke rises from a brush fire near Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles in 2007.
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Nearly 22 million people lived within 3 miles of a US wildfire in the past two decades. A new study tracking their locations flips the script on who is at risk.
Wildfire smoke filled the air at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on June 27, 2023.
AP Photo/Kim Johnson
Fires in Canada have sent smoke across several US states, leaving cities including New York, Chicago and Denver with some of the worst air quality in the world – even far from the flames.
Until now, a limitation of records of past fires is that these have come from sediments laid down in lakes and bogs. Records for dryland regions have been lacking, but dune deposits can fill the gap.
Repairing storm damage is expensive, and insurance covers less than many people realize.
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Telling people they have a flood risk rating of 10 is less powerful than explaining how much they’re likely to pay to deal with flooding over the next five years.
Homes overlook a forest in the wildland-urban interface in Arizona.
Marius von Essen
Since the Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 lives in 2017, Australia has identified flammable cladding on more than 3,400 buildings. Despite apartment owners’ fears and rising costs, few have been fixed.
Residents haven’t been able to return to their Mascot Towers apartments since being evacuated in June 2019.
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Identifying and fixing apartment defects can be challenging, especially as they’re often the shared responsibility of all owners in the building. A new guide aims to help navigate the pitfalls.
Extreme wildfires can fuel tornadoes, creating erratic and dangerous conditions for firefighters.
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