Wildfire
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The Bridge Fire engulfed the Angeles National Forest causing evacuations. But this ski area was able to keep its infrastructure safe.
The evacuation call came late at night, causing chaos and confusion as locals and tourists tried to leave the park en masse
Fifteen minutes of ooh-ing and ah-ing isn’t worth the wildfire risk, pollution, and trauma to wildlife
Thirty years ago, a fire blew up on Colorado's Storm King Mountain, causing one of the worst wildland-firefighting tragedies in U.S. history. The trail honors those who died in the line of duty and the work of all firefighters.
As the climate changes, our lives will, too. Let campfires be a thing of the past.
Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much
America’s hard-bitten wildland firefighters are switching gears in the off-season to run ultra distances
The West isn’t always best. Here’s why one outdoorsy editor gave up Oregon and moved his family to New England.
National Park Service encourages hikers to avoid Whiteoak Canyon and Old Rag due to poor air quality
If the congress can't get its act together by November 17, federal firefighters will each lose $20,000 per year
Hawaii’s climate and ecology have changed in the last few decades, bringing fire to a landscape that hasn’t evolved to withstand it
The Sourdough and Blue Lake Fires shut down the only road through the park, and crews are working to protect populated areas from the blazes
After wildfires devastated the town of Lahaina, mutual aid and community support have proven to be more robust than governmental aid
The York Fire has swept across thousands of acres of the Mojave Desert, torching Joshua trees and other delicate desert vegetation
Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, but the country’s beautiful national park system has mostly escaped them
Pushing modern communication and management tools deeper into challenging terrain will allow firefighters to work smarter—and safer
Investigators say Edward Frederick Wackerman intentionally started the 2022 Oak Fire. The blaze burned more than 100 homes just outside the national park.
Working the front lines of America’s wildfires is a difficult and dangerous job, but that doesn’t mean everyone who signs up is chasing adventure
Or even cheaper if you have these common home supplies
In 2016, a wildfire jumped the Athabasca River and headed straight for Fort McMurray, an Alberta oil town 600 miles south of the Arctic Circle. In this excerpt from ‘Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World,’ John Vaillant chronicles the moment the blaze enters town, forcing nearly 90,000 people to flee in what remains the largest, most rapid single-day evacuation in the history of modern fire.
At five feet tall, she was the smallest wildland firefighter in her crew and worried she couldn’t keep up. But on her very first blaze, she discovered her strength.
A man says he required lifesaving when he accidentally ignited a 2018 wildfire. An Arizona court determined that his negligence made him culpable.
Mystery Ranch leans into the specific needs of wildland firefighters
Here’s what we know about the Mosquito Fire, how local communities are being affected, and what Western States 100 race organizers are doing to respond
“Um, don’t do drugs kids (and don’t start spiders on fire during a drought),” Utah governor Spencer Cox tweeted Tuesday
Greg and Julie Welch were relaxing at their campsite in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters when a tiny fire in a nearby bog suddenly exploded into a massive blaze that began racing toward them
Last week my house burned to the ground, and if that’s not bad enough, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder
Once thought to be basically immortal, giant sequoias are dying in droves as fires burn bigger, hotter, and longer than at any other point in human history. Protecting them is possible, but managing western woods is a Pandora’s box of tough choices.
As an out-of-control blaze approached their home, a couple made what seems like a crazy choice: they ignored evacuation orders and stood their ground.
Thanks to a lot of hard work, skill, luck, and love, these amazing animals emerged safely from the flames and disruption
Everything you need to know about how the burning West will affect your summer
Kids learn best through stories, and these books weave gripping tales with messages about caring for the planet
Climate expert Daniel Swain explains how a convergence of climate change, urban sprawl, and extreme weather fueled the costliest wildfire in state history
Forest Fenn Treasure Hunter Banned, Sequoia National Park Reopens, ultrarunner meets rattler
The climate crisis has affected every corner of the country, including many of the places we once fantasized about moving to for a better quality of life
Journalist Lizzie Johnson provides a comprehensive postmortem of how the notorious 2018 inferno came to destroy Paradise, California—and what it means for the future of wildfires
In the same way that backcountry skiers read avalanche reports and whitewater kayakers check water levels, anyone hiking in the West needs to start planning for fires as a baseline safety precaution
‘Breathing Fire,’ a new book by Jaime Lowe, delves into the personal stories behind California’s inmate firefighter program
Coming to terms with a landscape ravaged by fire
Here’s what to do when your little one brings up sea-level rise, extinction, wildfires, and other ecological griefs
This season’s best new podcasts include a thoughtful true-crime show set in Malibu and a history of climbing hosted by Alex Honnold
But there’s still hope if we start managing water differently and addressing climate change, both of which are making dry spells more extreme
Here’s how President Biden plans to address climate change, pollution, and public lands in the greatest detail we’ve seen so far
Two new books, ‘Under the Sky We Make’ and ‘Overheated,’ lay out a plan to overcome our cynicism and anxiety and realize a sustainable, carbon-free future
Across the West, fire season lasts longer and has become more intense than any time in history—tens of thousands of structures burn every year, and dozens of people die. But new research is highlighting a different problem: those who survive are never the same.
A new documentary from director Ron Howard looks at what happened after California's deadliest wildfire
Not only do we use this stuff for 130 days every summer—we're not exactly nice to it in the process
In a new era of menacing blazes, there are lessons to be learned from the people who stay and defend their properties
This six-part series explores the history of California's forests and the increasing threat of wildfires across the state
'Ode to Desolation' introduces us to Jim Henterly, who spends his summers stationed at the historic Desolation Peak Fire Lookout
This six-part series explores the history of California's forests, as well as the increasing threat of wildfires across the state
This fire season is yet another sign that we can't wait any longer to fix our planet
With the CZU Lightning Complex fire bearing down on them, a rogue group of citizens banded together to stay and defend their homes in the mountains above Santa Cruz, California. Here's how they fought the fire—and won.
From wildfires to car traffic, all runners should be aware of the air quality before working up a sweat.
Marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols's house burned to the ground in California's CZU Lightning Complex fire. He wrote his daughter a letter breaking the news.
COVID-19 is going to limit and slow relief—and increase the importance of personal preparedness
Trump administration manipulated emissions reporting from the deadliest fires in California history to promote logging
Australia's bushfires have scorched 27 million acres, more than 10 times the area burned in California's catastrophic 2018 wildfire season. The way that Australia is dealing with devastation, and how quickly that devastation came, feels like a spooky portent for what’s coming next.
Has Governor Gavin Newsom done a bad job managing the wildfires? Should he invest in "cleaning" the forest? We've got answers.
A combination of Santa Ana winds and climate change is almost the perfect recipe for extreme fires
Do it poorly—or not at all—and you could start the next catastrophic wildfire
Why one California couple chose to stand and fight an inferno
The official Ursus of fire prevention ought to move from figurehead to spokesbear—and wearing a little Nomex wouldn't hurt either
This gear is fire
The blazes are releasing so much carbon that they could create a feedback loop
The Sawgrass Fire threatens Alligator Alley
Shane Grammer's images brought hope to his friends and family in the wake of California's most destructive fire. Now he's returning to the region to reveal new work, including a major art installation.
At last, the West is taking steps to address megafires. But we’ve done nothing to prepare for their biggest threat to human health.
A new report found that towns near plenty of outdoor recreation attract new residents and higher incomes. But this could also mean higher costs of living, affordable housing challenges, and encroachment into vulnerable landscapes.
A new report officially points the blame for the Paradise fire at the utility's electrical transmission lines
The risks and rewards of being (literally and figuratively) out in the wilderness
Step one: know the conditions and whether fires are actually allowed where you're camping
Stuart Palley captures images of wildfires at night, making some of the riskiest art around
The shutdown is hampering fire prevention efforts in the state, even while the President looks to disaster-relief funds for his wall
John Pascoe and his wife, Jan, had lived in their beautiful Napa home for 38 years when the Tubbs Fire arrived suddenly at their door in October 2017
There's one realistic thing we can do to survive the new era of giant blazes: build smarter communities that can take the heat