Menu Close

Articles on Wildfires

Displaying 261 - 280 of 372 articles

A collapsed building in Mayfield, Ky., after a tornado hit the town on Dec. 11, 2021. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Smashed cars, burnt trees, soggy insulation: Post-disaster cleanup is expensive, time-consuming and wasteful

Government agencies have detailed plans for responding to disasters, like the Dec. 10-11, 2021 tornados. But one issue doesn’t get enough attention: cleaning up the mess left behind.
Suburban infrastructure growth has resulted in functional landscapes designed to serve the growing needs of urban peripheries. Zhu Hongzhi/Unsplash

The suburbs can help cities in the fight against climate change

Located at the edges of cities, suburbs have a role to play in urban resilience to disasters caused or exacerbated by climate change.
A firefighter walks along a containment line while battling a 2018 wildfire in Redding, California. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Data science could help Californians battle future wildfires

Researchers like myself are finding transformative new ways to help planners, leaders and first responders tackle disasters from afar.
When faced with a wildfire, responders must act quickly and decisively to save lives. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Making life-or-death decisions is very hard – here’s how we’ve taught people to do it better

Emergency responders and military personnel need to think creatively – even imaginatively – to save lives under pressure. Analyzing the Grenfell Tower Fire in London reveals useful lessons.
The Maria Fire billows above Santa Paula, California on Oct. 31. AP/Noah Berger

California is living America’s dystopian future

‘California is America fast-forward,’ writes one scholar. Does that mean that the dystopian infernos that have consumed parts of the state are simply a picture of what awaits the rest of America?
Aja Conrad, the Karuk Tribe’s workforce and internships coordinator, lights a prescribed fire in Orleans, California. Jenny Staats

What western states can learn from Native American wildfire management strategies

Instead of suppressing wildfire, the Karuk Tribe in the Pacific Northwest is using it as an integral part of its climate change management plan. Federal, state and local agencies are taking note.
Drones are increasingly used to gather information and inform research. As technology develops longer-lasting batteries and more sensitive cameras, the role of drones in research will continue to grow. (Shutterstock)

Drones help track wildfires, count wildlife and map plants

Drones have proven extremely useful for research, collecting detailed data to help monitor hard-to-access areas.
Fires that affect populated areas raise different safety and public health issues than wildfires. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Why we need to treat wildfire as a public health issue in California

Two fire researchers argue that recent fires in Northern and Southern California show why health and social equity need to be part of fire preparedness.
A fire rages through wetlands close to Cape Town in February 2017. EPA/Nic Bothma

What science tells us about fire hazards facing Cape Town and its surrounds

The danger of fires in the Cape region this season is partly dependent on how the Fynbos has been managed over the past few decades.
A wildfire moves towards the town of Anzac from Fort McMurray, Alta. in May 2016. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP

More frequent fires could dramatically alter boreal forests and emit more carbon

The boreal forest is being reshaped by wildfire. As climate change intensifies wildfire activity, the boreal forest will likely become a carbon source.

Top contributors

More