She watches for wildfires and sees climate changing the forest
She practices her violin for upcoming performances with the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra while watching for smoke from 31 feet off the ground. She occasionally spots a turquoise-feathered Lazuli bunting while scanning the horizon for flames. Her grandfather is believed to have been the first fire lookout in Arizona, stationed at the Woody Mountain tree stand […]
Is eastern Africa’s drought the worst in recent history? And are worse yet to come?
Large areas of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are currently in the grip of a severe drought. An estimated 16.7 million people face acute food insecurity. That’s more than the combined populations of Austria and Switzerland. Four consecutive rainy seasons have now failed since late 2020, a climatic event not seen in at least 40 years. […]
Dempsey Fire West of Mineral Wells Continues to Challenge Texas Firefighters
Dempsey Fire, June 25, 2022. Texas Forest Service. The Dempsey fire six miles west of Mineral Wells, Texas, crossed the Brazos River at several locations. It was very active again on Saturday, but not to the extreme levels seen on Friday. When the fire was mapped by a plane at 8pm on Saturday, the northwest […]
Malaga – Costa del Sol | Military called in to help fight major forest fire burning in the Sierra Bermeja
The scene from the A-397 Ronda – San Pedro road in the early hours of Thursday morning, 9 June / KARl smallman Some 162 soldiers are supporting the Junta’s Infoca specialist crews as high winds continue to whip up the flames this Thursday morning. Three firefighters have been reported injured, one seriously The Sierra Bermeja, […]
Wildfire smoke poses neurological hazards — ScienceDaily
Woodsmoke from massive wildfires burning in California shrouded much of the West last summer, making it harder for people suffering from respiratory illnesses to breathe. Those respiratory consequences can be dangerous — even life-threatening — but Matthew Campen, PhD, a professor in The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, sees another hazard hidden in […]
Paradise home first in U.S. to be designated ‘wildfire-prepared’
Paradise, California – As the city of Paradise continues its long-term reconstruction following a deadly camp fire, residents are increasingly focused on returning. “From the beginning, the goal was to rebuild the city of Paradise as an example,” said homeowner Casey Taylor. Earlier on Wednesday, Taylor’s house became the first in the country to be […]
Malaga – Costa del Sol | ‘Controlled’ Sierra Bermeja forest fire affects almost 5,000 hectares
File photograph taken at the height of the fire. / SUR The blaze, burning since 8 June, has affected land across seven Malaga municipalities (Benahavís, Estepona, Faraján, Igualeja, Jubrique, Júzcar and Pujerra) The Junta de Andalucía has revealed that the fire burning in the Sierra Bermeja mountain range since 8 June has affected around 4,860 […]
Wildfires in Europe, Afghanistan earthquake and the Oslo mass shooting | This week in pictures
Extreme levels of fire were reported in Spain, Cyprus, and Turkey during this week’s heat wave across Europe. In Oslo, a gunman opened fire on two bars, killing two and injuring dozens. Norwegian intelligence services are treating the suspect’s mental health as a terrorist act. A powerful earthquake in Afghanistan has claimed thousands of lives. […]
Fire hastens permafrost collapse in Arctic Alaska — ScienceDaily
While climate change is the primary driver of permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska, a new analysis of 70 years of data reveals that tundra fires are accelerating that decline, contributing disproportionately to a phenomenon known as “thermokarst,” the abrupt collapse of ice-rich permafrost as a result of thawing. Reported in the journal One Earth, the […]
Want to limit carbon and curb wildfire? Create a market for small trees — ScienceDaily
Clearing California’s forests of dense overgrowth is a critical first step for curbing catastrophic wildfire in the state. But forest restoration — whether through prescribed burning or thinning — comes at a high price: Not only are these treatments costly, but cutting down or burning vegetation can release stored carbon dioxide, accelerating the impacts of […]