Young girls chant as activists rally for climate action at Sydney Town Hall on January 10, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.

The Linguistic Anatomy of a Political Firestorm

The prime minister of Australia has a background in marketing, but with the bush fire crisis, his manipulation of language is only getting him so far.
Hot Shot members from Zuni, NM

How Native Americans Came to Fight Southwestern Fires

The practice began with the 1933 creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and, specifically, its Indian Division.
A fire burns in a section of the Amazon rain forest on August 25, 2019 in the Candeias do Jamari region near Porto Velho, Brazil

Can Fire Destroy the Amazon?

The massive fires of 2019 have many asking the question: is there a "tipping point" beyond which the Amazon cannot recover?
A trail near Tampere, Finland.

How Forest Fires Work in Finland

Finland's forest fires aren't as destructive as California's. That has more to do with climate and population than with forest management.
A forest fire reflected in Okanagan Lake, British Columbia, Canada

How Fire Damages Water

President Trump has suggested that poor water management causes wildfires. In fact, it's often the other way around.
Severely burnt forest after Grampians wildfire

How Eucalyptus Trees Stoke Wildfires

Eucalypts are now cosmopolitan, spread around the world through imperialism and globalization. Unfortunately, they're also highly flammable.
Forest fire burning, Wildfire at night in Chiangmai, Thailand

Welcome to the Age of Megafires

It's been a terrible year for fires in California and elsewhere around the world. Because then it always is now in the age of megafires.
Spotted Owl sitting on a tree branch

Scientists Turn to Spotted Owls to Understand Wildfire Patterns

To better understand how the warming climate affects wildfires, Scientists are turning to Spotted Owls that evolved to deal with such disasters.
wildfires are getting worse

West Coast Infernos, Midday Mudslides, and the Little Cool Beans that Might Save the World

Wildfires and public health, predicting floods, and substituting beans for beef were top stories in environmental news this week.
Fire

Fire Season is Getting Longer and Longer

A look at how climate change and human influences are changing the dynamics of fire, and the landscape, in the American west.