The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR.

Wildfires are getting worse, the New York Times reports in the middle of a week where we watch California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado burn, eerie photos of orange skies that look like Magritte paintings dominating our social media feeds. The following stories published in the past five years link to research that offers insight into the ways climate change and other factors are contributing to the crisis.

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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.