Rocky Mountain fires leave telltale ash layers in nearby lakes like this one. Philip Higuera What the extreme fire seasons of 1910 and 2020 – and 2,500 years of forest history – tell us about the future of wildfires in the West Kyra Clark-Wolf, University of Colorado Boulder and Philip Higuera, University of Montana Strong winds … Continue reading 2,500 Years of Forest History
A day fighting wildfires can require as much endurance as riding the Tour de France Ruby Mountain hotshots construct a fire line during the Dixie Fire in 2021. Joe Bradshaw/BLM Brent C. Ruby, University of Montana For three weeks in July, the world’s most elite bike racers climb steep mountains and sprint along historic cobblestones to … Continue reading Yellow Jerseys of the Fireline:
Tools for a prescribed burn conducted in the Sierra Nevada in November 2019. Susan Kocher, CC BY-ND Susan Kocher, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Ryan E. Tompkins, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Californians have been concerned about wildfires for a long time, but the past two … Continue reading MOVING BEYOND AMERICA’S WAR ON WILDFIRE: 4 WAYS TO AVOID FUTURE MEGAFIRES
Conflicting visions in central Idaho force tough decisions over logging and prescribed burning. Carl Segerstrom/High Country News Smoke blotted out the midday sun as firefighters rappelled from helicopters into the remote backcountry of the Salmon River Breaks in central Idaho. A small but swiftly growing string of blazes roared across the granitic walls of the river … Continue reading Facing Future Wildfires, a Community Fights for its Forest
Wildfire needs new narratives. The podcast ‘Fireline’ is a start. Surya Milner/High Country News Flames cascaded down hills, engulfing old oak trees as firefighter Lily Jane Clarke watched, transfixed. She was standing in the thick of the August Complex, a giant 2020 wildfire that burned over a million acres of Northern California forestland. “It’s beautiful,” … Continue reading How to Live with Fire
Trees are dying of thirst in the Western drought – here’s what’s going on inside their veins Juniper trees, common in Arizona’s Prescott National Forest, have been dying with the drought. Benjamin Roe/USDA Forest Service via AP Daniel Johnson, University of Georgia and Raquel Partelli Feltrin, University of British Columbia Like humans, trees need water to … Continue reading Trees are Dying of Thirst in the Western Drought
Bringing tech innovation to wildfires: 4 recommendations for smarter firefighting as megafires menace the US Satellites can quickly detect and monitor wildfires from space, like this 2017 fire that encroached on Ventura, California. NASA Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens Natasha Stavros, University of Colorado Boulder Record-breaking fires over the past decade suggest the western U.S. has entered … Continue reading Bringing Tech Innovation to Wildfires