wildfires News

Incoming Governors More Likely to Face Natural Disasters

Governors have a wide range of priorities they want to tackle in the coming year, from tax reform to education. Yet it’s a topic that receives less attention on the campaign trail and in their speeches that could determine their …

Fires, Flooding, Record Cold Expected for Thanksgiving Holiday

Fires and flooding on the West Coast, record cold and gusty winds on the East Coast. Brace yourself for Thanksgiving week, 2018. Northern California could get as much as 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain, according to forecasters. The good …

Nevada Course Preps Students to Investigate Wildfires

After a wildfire burns swaths of land, someone has to investigate the clues left behind to determine the fire’s cause and, possibly, prevent another one. A hands-on class offered near a northern Nevada airport teaches participants how to do it. …

Many Undetected Wildfires Occur in Florida

A new study from Florida State University researchers indicates that common satellite imaging technologies have vastly underestimated the number of fires in Florida. Their report, published in collaboration with researchers from the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy, challenges …

Climate Change-Driven Wildfires Reshape West

Wildfires in the U.S. have charred more than 10,000 square miles so far this year, an area larger than the state of Maryland, with large fires still burning in every Western state including many that are not fully contained. Whether …

Meteorologists Aid Wildfire Fight by Keeping Crews Informed

As they sit at their screens in a small office outside Pendleton, a group of meteorologists can already tell what the rest of the population is soon going to find out the hard way: it’s another smoky day in Oregon. …

Drones Help Fight Fires After Dark

Kale Casey almost can’t believe what a metal bird 5 feet long, weighing 44 pounds with wings spanning 10 feet, can do to help fight a wildfire. “For eight hours a night, without getting tired, without needing a meal … …

Oregon State Researcher Studies Wildfire Embers

An Oregon State University professor is using federal funds to conduct research on how embers form and spread during devastating wildfires. Assistant professor David Blunck’s team is testing variables such as temperature, wind speed, timber species and branch diameter to …

Biggest Cat Losses of the Past Decade Hit U.S. Insurers

Wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail storms, Nor’easters and mudslides. A string of disasters has pummeled the biggest U.S. insurers over the past year, and the second quarter was no exception. Allstate Corp. estimated its pretax catastrophe losses at $906 million for …

Odds of El Nino Rises

It’s increasingly likely an El Nino will form this year in the equatorial Pacific to roil global weather patterns and threaten natural gas and agricultural markets, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said in a report. There’s now a 70 percent …