Wildfire

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

Inside the most destructive fire in American history—and why the West's cities and towns will keep on burning

Sierra Nevada is making Resilience Butte County Proud IPA to raise money for the Camp Fire victims—and has inspired hundreds of other brewers to join the effort

As the Camp Fire continues to devastate Northern California, the canceled North Face Endurance Challenge provided an opportunity for runners to do some good, and gain some perspective

Debunking various theories currently floating around the Internet

Putting the deadliest fire in California history into perspective

Over 150,000 Californians were evacuated last night and 20 million more are under red-flag fire warnings

"What I've been searching for, I now see, is something bigger than acceptance, bigger than smokejumping, bigger than proving I can be one of the guys."

‘Wildland’ follows a crew of firefighters as they battle enormous blazes in an effort to reset their lives

One of the worst tragedies in the history of firefighting prompted little change to a culture that regularly puts young lives at risk. A few seasoned veterans are working to fix that.

One photographer's attempt to find art in fire, even as climate change makes conditions more deadly

That run or bike commute might impact you more than you think

Losing your home to a wildfire is often just the start of your troubles

Is it even possible to reduce the number of massive blazes that are now commonplace in the American West?

How do you protect yourself from wildfire on a warming planet? You burn everything on purpose.

A few strategies to keep you on the trail this summer

Yosemite National Park closed for three weeks because of the blaze. Here's how much revenue the region lost because of that.

Last week, the Interior Secretary outlined his ideas on what causes wildfire. Here's what he's right and wrong about.

At 475 square miles, the Mendocino Complex Fire is the size of Phoenix

Turns out you can't believe everything you read on Trump's Twitter feed

All three of the state's major blazes are making rare pyrocumulus clouds right now

As wildfires get worse, these powerful new tools will help keep you safe

The new mega fires raging across the West are polluting the air above states like Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming the worst

Photographer Pete McBride got front-row seats to the massive Lake Christine Fire as it nearly destroyed his 120-year-old home

Fire has always been a part of the landscape. The mistake we made was trying to stop it—something Florida never did.

Wildfires are going to become bigger and more frequent in the future. If you find yourself caught in one, this is what you need to do.