Floods, wildfires, heat waves and hurricanes cause billions of dollars of property damage each year. Can federal climate scientists help the insurance industry keep up?
Wildfires and a Western megadrought led to a historic die-off of evergreen trees in the state — nearly twice as bad as the previous worst year. Some researchers have dubbed it "firmageddon."
Scientists are finding that Western wildfires can have far-reaching impacts. If they're burning while Central U.S. thunderstorms are forming, the rain and hail can be dramatically more destructive.
Many Western states lack building codes for wildfire-resistant homes. But a new study finds the costs can be minimal, undercutting long-held building industry arguments against such codes.
Crews battling the Oak Fire in California's Mariposa County got a break from increased humidity levels. The blaze, which forced the evacuations of thousands, was 26% contained, Cal Fire said.
Parts of the Great Plains are forecast to hit record-breaking temperatures this week, while in Europe, extreme heat has fueled wildfires and contributed to hundreds of deaths in recent days.
Challenged by high temperatures and strong winds, 1,000 firefighters and 10 water-dumping planes struggled Friday to contain wildfires in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France.
Many forest ecologists say the U.S. Forest Service is hampered by an outdated approach to prescribed fires, a key tool for reducing the threat of megafires made worse by climate change.
Many forest ecologists say the U.S. Forest Service is hampered by an outdated approach to prescribed fires, a key tool for reducing the threat of megafires made worse by climate change.
While they face longer and hotter wildfire seasons, federal firefighters are also battling staffing shortages in six of the nine regions across the country.
