wildfires News

Eastern Australia Wildfires Destroy Up to 30 Homes

About 500 firefighters were battling out-of-control wildfires in eastern Australia that have destroyed up to 30 homes. More than 40 bushfires were burning across New South Wales state. Temperatures were cooler Wednesday after strong winds and stifling heat restricted firefighting …

Council Recommends $4B Plan to Safeguard Oregon from Wildfires

A task force created by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown says climate change, overstocked forests and understaffed fire teams have placed Oregonians in extreme risk, necessitating a multi-billion-dollar program to safeguard the state from calamity. The Statesman Journal reported the council …

Lawsuit Says Colorado Railroad Ignited Fires Prior to Wildfire

A federal lawsuit says nearly 50 fires in Colorado were ignited by a railroad company in the weeks leading up to a major wildfire. The Durango Herald reported Tuesday that The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad caused the smaller …

Parts of Texas in Exceptional Drought; Governor Extends Disaster Declaration

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has extended a drought disaster declaration to numerous counties in the state. The counties are deemed to be in exceptional drought due to significantly low rainfall and prolonged dry conditions that continue to increase the threat …

Re/insurers Rethink Climate Change Risks as Losses Grow from Wildfires, Floods, Hail

By the time David Kaisel got back from selling his flour at a farmers’ market, a wildfire in California’s Capay Valley had burnt both his tractor and the shipping container where he kept some tools. His insurer is set to …

Why Are Amazon Fires Potentially Sparking Global Climate Crisis?

A record number of fires ravaging the Amazon has drawn international outrage because of the rainforest’s importance to the global environment and prompted Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to dispatch the military to assist in firefighting. Here is what you need …

U.S. Northwest Faces Growing Wildfire Threat

Nestled in the foothills of Washington’s Cascade Mountains, the bustling Seattle suburb of Issaquah seems an unlikely candidate for anxiety over wildfires. The region, famous for its rainfall, has long escaped major burns even as global warming has driven an …

Artificial Intelligence Helps to Contain Wildfires, Predict Wild Weather

On a tower in the Brazilian rainforest, a sentinel scans the horizon for the first signs of fire. Only these eyes aren’t human. They don’t blink or take breaks, and guided by artificial intelligence they can tell the difference between …

Climate Change Blamed for Europe’s Latest Heatwave

Europe’s latest summer heatwave broke heat records just weeks after the continent had its hottest ever June, fueling concern that a shifting climate is triggering more extreme weather. Germany probably set a new all-time temperature record of 42.6 degrees Celsius …

Blast of Hot Air from Sahara Triggers Record Heatwave Across Europe

Europeans fought to stay cool as a blast of hot air from the Sahara desert sent temperatures to records in large parts of the continent and whipped up concern about climate change. Germany imposed speed restrictions on usually limit-free stretches …