In August 2023, downed power lines on Maui, Hawaii, sparked a wildfire that quickly exploded into multiple, fast-moving blazes fanned by high winds. Over several days, the fires reduced much of the town of Lāhainā to ashes, displacing thousands and killing more than 100 people. New research published Thursday, August 22, in the journal Frontiers […]
Grand Canyon ‘Megafire’ Explodes in Size and Is Now Creating Its Own Weather
Despite over a month of firefighting efforts, the Dragon Bravo fire experienced a surge of growth this week, doubling in size within just a few days. The northern Arizona “megafire” is now the largest active blaze in the continental U.S. and the largest of 2025 so far. As of Wednesday, August 6, the Dragon Bravo […]
Wildfire Smoke Chokes Canada and U.S., Triggering Air Quality Alerts
Canada is battling more than 700 active wildfires across the country, roughly two-thirds of which are burning out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC). Smoke billowing from the blazes has blanketed central Canada and the northern U.S., prompting widespread air quality alerts. Federal officials have issued air quality warnings across […]
U.S. Lawmakers Blame Canada for Ruining Summer With Wildfire Smoke
The Canadian province of Manitoba is suffering through its worst wildfire season in its history, and to add insult to injury, several U.S. lawmakers are complaining that smoke wafting south is making it difficult for Americans to enjoy summer. Six Republican Congress members shared their concerns in a letter addressed to Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman […]
Alarming Conditions and Federal Chaos Could Spell a Disastrous California Fire Season
Experts say California is primed for a brutal fire season. Sweeping changes to federal emergency management agencies could make matters worse. In January, destructive wildfires devastated Los Angeles, killing at least 30 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. As the city rebuilds, it may face a particularly brutal summer fire season, experts warn. Thanks […]
Scientists Are Sounding the Alarm Over Trump’s ‘Emergency’ Forest Logging Order
The Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to open up swathes of the American wilderness to commercial logging are raising everything from eyebrows to serious concerns among scientists and current and former federal land managers. A month after President Trump signed two executive orders regarding the national security concerns of timber and lumber exports and expansion of […]
Here’s a NASA Satellite View of One of New Jersey’s Biggest Wildfires in Decades
Images taken by a NASA satellite this week reveal the worrying extent of a fast-moving wildfire in southern New Jersey. Taken during the fire’s second day, the images capture plumes of smoke and scorched terrain from the fire that’s burned 15,300 acres to date. New Jersey’s Pine Barrens are no stranger to fire—pitch pines actually […]
Trump’s Executive Order Is Making It Harder to Hire Firefighters
Southern California just suffered one of the most destructive wildfires in its history—and it happened outside of what is typically considered wildfire season for the region. With the state staring down conditions that could heighten the risk of further flames, California could use all the help it could get. Unfortunately, it won’t be able to […]
Video Game Exec Pleads Guilty to Crashing Drone Into Firefighting Plane During LA Wildfires
Peter T. Akemann, the co-founder of the Treyarch video game studio, has pleaded guilty to recklessly flying a drone during the California wildfire. According to his own admission, the video game exec launched a DJI drone during the fires last month and it crashed into a firefighting plane. He’ll pay $65,169 to repair the plane […]