Five Things You Need to Know About Wildfire Smoke Right Now
Where is it coming from? How long will it last? What's in the smoke? Whose health is at risk? How do you clean your own air?.....»»
Wildlife smoke may curb movement, sociability of woodpeckers
Human-driven climate change has helped transform many forests into kindling: A 2016 study found that greenhouse-aided warming and drought had more than doubled the area of fire-susceptible forest in the western U.S. since the mid-1980s. And of the Ca.....»»
Research helps California forest managers assess smoke hazards from prescribed burns
Across the American West, managers of fire-prone landscapes are increasingly using a practice that seems counterintuitive: setting small fires to prevent larger, more destructive ones. Commonly called "prescribed burns," these targeted, controlled fi.....»»
Climate change may make wildfires larger, more common in US southern Appalachian region
In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers have found that more extreme and frequent droughts would dramatically increase the amount of forest burned by wildfire in the southern Appalachian region of the Southeast through the end of.....»»
Air Pollution Is Ruining Your Skin
Wildfire smoke and exhaust fumes are triggering spikes in eczema and other skin conditions......»»
Houses burn as new volcanic eruption threatens Icelandic village
Houses caught fire after a new volcanic eruption sent smoke and lava spewing out near the Icelandic fishing port of Grindavik Sunday, just hours after villagers were evacuated to safety, authorities said......»»
Indonesia"s Mount Marapi erupts again, leading to evacuations but no reported casualties
Indonesia's Mount Marapi erupted again on Sunday, spewing smoke and ash high into the air, but no casualties were reported......»»
Wildfire Risk Maps Haven"t Kept Up with Wildfire Risks
Many states haven’t been able to keep their wildfire risk maps up to date, even as global warming increases the danger, because of funding constraints.....»»
Astronomers think they finally know origin of enormous “cosmic smoke rings“
Massive stars burn out quickly. When they die, they expel their gas as outflowing winds. Enlarge / Odd radio circles are large enough to contain galaxies in their centers and reach hundreds of thousands of light years across. (c.....»»
WWII-era munitions found under water in survey of Southern California industrial waste dump site
Underwater dump sites off the Los Angeles coast contain World War II-era munitions including anti-submarine weapons and smoke devices, marine researchers announced Friday......»»
Everlasting African wildfires fueled by aerosol feedback
Africa is on fire. It has been for thousands of years. The continent contains more than 50% of the total area on Earth that is burning, on average, and there is no sign of it stopping; indeed, the migrating, hemisphere-hopping African wildfire season.....»»
Exposure to cigarette smoke found to increase cancer risk in dogs
Dogs are humans' best friends. Need to quickly locate a bomb? There's a dog for that. Can't see very well? There's a dog for that. Searching for a lost hiker in the mountains or survivors in an earthquake, diagnosing illness, comforting the bereft—.....»»
Targeted household cleaning can reduce toxic chemicals post-wildfire, research shows
After the last embers of a campfire dim, the musky smell of smoke remains. Whiffs of that distinct smokey smell may serve as a pleasant reminder of the evening prior, but in the wake of a wildfire, that smell comes with ongoing health risks......»»
Researchers reveal linkage between wildfire activity and abrupt climate events during the Holocene
As a major Earth system component, wildfire plays an important role in the Earth's terrestrial ecosystems and climate system, with significant impacts on the atmosphere, radiation effects, vegetation, surface properties, global biogeochemical cycles.....»»
A wildfire in Australia on the outskirts of Perth destroys at least 2 homes and injures 2 people
A wildfire burning out of control on the outskirts of the Australian west coast city of Perth on Thursday destroyed at least two homes and injured two people, officials said......»»
Toxic chemicals found in oil spills and wildfire smoke detected in killer whales
Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales......»»
A new tool to better model future wildfire impacts in the United States
Wildfire management systems outfitted with remote sensing technology could improve first responders' ability to predict and respond to the spread of deadly forest fires......»»
Helping more people get to safety in a wildfire
Wildfires pose an increasing threat to communities at the wildland-urban interface (WUI)—where dry, flammable vegetation borders backyards, often in remote locations. Despite the well-known danger, many communities at highest risk do not have a str.....»»
Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned, or thinned
A 20-year experiment in the Sierra Nevada confirms that different forest management techniques—prescribed burning, restoration thinning or a combination of both—are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California......»»
Climate change will increase wildfire risk and lengthen fire seasons, study confirms
Wildfires are some of the most destructive natural disasters in the country, threatening lives, destroying homes and infrastructure, and creating air pollution. In order to properly forecast and manage wildfires, managers need to understand wildfire.....»»
Private timberland from Washington to California lost billions in value due to wildfires
A new study from Oregon State University estimates that wildfire and drought caused $11.2 billion in economic losses to privately owned timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades......»»