wildfires News

Death Toll Rises From Tornadoes, Wildfires and Storms in Multiple States

Unusually vicious and damaging weather across multiple U.S. states spawned violent tornadoes, blinding dust storms and fast-moving wildfires over the weekend, leaving at least 39 people dead. In the latest tally of the destruction, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management …

FEMA Cancels Classes at National Fire Academy Amid Federal Funding Cuts

The country’s preeminent federal fire training academy canceled classes, effective immediately, on Saturday amid the ongoing flurry of funding freezes and staffing cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that National Fire Academy courses were …

Cascading Extreme Weather Events Unleash Billions in Damages Globally

First came a dry spell that parched the land, then a spark, followed by some wind. Suddenly, swaths of South Carolina were consumed by voracious flames. More than 100 fires ignited in the state last weekend — an unusually high …

Trump’s Hiring Freeze Throws Wildfire Fighters into Disarray

Federal firefighters have found their jobs on the chopping block as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders, with a hiring freeze simultaneously blocking reinforcements in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires and ahead of the upcoming …

Catastrophic Weather Drives Insured Losses to Highest Since 2017

As 2025 begins with wildfires wreaking devastation across Los Angeles, it’s now clear that insured losses from natural catastrophes last year soared to the highest since 2017. At $140 billion, insured losses globally were more than double the 30-year average …

International, Domestic Insurers Push into Catastrophe-Hit US Property Markets

International and domestic insurers are pushing into the U.S. market for hard-to-protect homes, charging high premiums and enjoying strong profits after some U.S. firms pulled out. Rising losses from storms, hurricanes and wildfires in recent years have caused some insurers, …

Moody’s: Northeast U.S. States in the Wildfire Spotlight

States such as California are certainly experiencing a more ferocious wildfire season this year than a relatively quiet 2023. Combined CAL FIRE and U.S. Forest Service figures record over 1 million acres burnt in California this year, way above the …

What’s Behind New York Fires? Climate Change, Land Use and History

Wildfires that are raging across New York and New Jersey highlight a new threat to one of the world’s most affluent regions. Climate change is regarded by scientists as the pre-eminent factor driving long-term changes in weather, and the New …

High Winds in Southern California Drive Two Blazes

A wildfire sparked in California’s upscale Malibu beach community on Wednesday was driven by powerful winds sweeping apart the state’s southern region. The Broad Fire in Los Angeles County, which had shut down Pacific Coast Highway between Web Way and …

Insurance Czar Has ‘Harsh’ Message About Climate: You May Just Have to Move

The soaring cost and difficulty of insuring against climate risks may force people to relocate, the head of Canada’s main financial regulator warned. Rising damages from extreme weather don’t seem to be a regulatory problem, but rather a cost problem, …