Newswise Breaking News Channel: Wildfires

Impact of 2020 Labor Day wildfires on highway infrastructure: a historical perspective on megafires and roadway damage in Washington, Oregon, and California

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 23:05:35 EST

A research team examines the extent of damage and associated costs on the 2020 Labor Day wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and California, comparing with the historical impact of megafires in these states.

Laser-Focused on Rainforest Carbon Loss

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 14:05:16 EST

Scientists using high-resolution aerial scans and computational modeling concluded that wildfires, storms and selective logging have become key drivers behind rainforest carbon emissions, outpacing clear-cutting practices.The team used drones equipped with light detection and ranging sensors, or LiDAR, to measure tree biomass and carbon emissions in Brazilian forests.

Restoring a Fire Resilient and Rare Pacific Northwest Tree

Cal Poly Humboldt — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 14:05:13 EST

Cal Poly Humboldt Forestry Professor Jeff Kane is leading a project funded by the USDA Forest Service in collaboration with Ecologist, Kyle Merriam, to reestablish Baker Cypress in areas where it was nearly extirpated by the 2021 Dixie Fire, with significant involvement from students.

Impact of Thinning Treatments on Fire-Resilient Redwood Forests

Cal Poly Humboldt — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:05:35 EST

The research aims to assess changes in surface fuels, tree mortality, regeneration, and the general health of secondary redwood forests.

Expert Available: Wildfires in California and Nevada Led to Mandatory Evacuations

George Washington University — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:00:28 EST

Wildfires continue to rage in parts of California and Nevada forcing mandatory evacuations for homes nearby. ...

WashU scientists uncover hidden source of snow melt: dark brown carbon

Washington University in St. Louis — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:05:32 EST

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are first to quantify the effect of dark brown carbon on snow melt.

Getting the stink out of smoke-tainted wine

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:05:45 EST

Wildfires can damage crops, even if flames come nowhere near the plants. One outcome can be an unpleasant flavor and smell of wine that is made from grapes exposed to smoke. But researchers report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that they have developed a way to lessen this smoke taint to improve the palatability of the wine.

UC Irvine study reveals health impacts of repeated wildfires and smoke exposure

University of California, Irvine — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:05:26 EST

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 28, 2024 -- University of California, Irvine public health researchers have published a study in the journal Environmental Research Health highlighting the compounded effects of frequent wildfires and smoke exposure on physical and mental health, local economies and community resilience in Southern California.

From embers to crisis: the expanding threat of wildfires under global warming

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:05:58 EST

Wildfires are emerging as a critical global issue, intensified by climate change and increasingly threatening both the environment and public health. A recent study reveals that these fires are not only becoming more frequent but also more severe, particularly in high-latitude regions such as Asia and North America.

Researchers develop post-wildfire landslide susceptibility model

Tufts University — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 17:05:39 EST

Tufts University researcher Farshid Vahedifard and his team have created physics models to predict cascading hazards such as landslides and debris flows that can follow wildfires.

Gases from Burning Biomass React within Clouds, Forming Secondary Organic Aerosols

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory - EMSL — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 16:05:21 EST

A multi-institutional team of researchers developed a stand-alone box model to predict aqueous and cloud chemistry of biomass-burning phenols based on laboratory measurements.

UC Davis Health develops a real-time action plan to help patients with lung disease cope with wildfire smoke

UC Davis Health — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 14:05:06 EST

A multidisciplinary team at UC Davis Health has developed an action plan to help patients with respiratory diseases mitigate the consequences of poor air quality from wildfires.

An overlooked side-effect of the housing crisis may be putting Californians at increased risk from climate disasters

University of California, Santa Cruz — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:05:59 EST

In a new article for the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UC Santa Cruz researchers laid out the foundation for their highly-anticipated upcoming study of how lack of affordable housing in urban areas of California may be driving increased development in and near wildlands, leading to more severe climate change impacts.

Wildfires in the U.S. and Canada Remind Us That Health Impacts Defy Borders

American Thoracic Society (ATS) — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:05:52 EST

Wildfire season is upon us and again communities in some parts of the U.S. and Canada are battling devastating fires that threaten the health of everyone, especially individuals with lung disease. According to the National Interagency fire Center, as of this morning, 75 large wildfires are being managed nationwide.

Study Reveals Canadian Wildfires Are Affecting U.S. Air Quality and Raising Health Concerns

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:05:13 EST

Rutgers researchers examined particulate matter from a June 2023 fire that triggered advisories for more than 100 million Americans in the Northeast.

After the flames: fighting the health effects of forest fires

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 09:00:05 EST

Exposure to Wildfire Smoke May Affect Patients Undergoing Surgery

American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 10:00:00 EST

Nearly 100 wildfires are currently raging throughout the country, burning more than 2 million acres.

UAlbany Study Examines Impact of Exposure to Ultrafine Particles on Mortality in New York

University at Albany, State University of New York — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 14:10:20 EST

A new study has found a link between long-term UFP exposure and increases in mortality in New York, especially among underserved populations.

Park Wildfire and Others Trigger Evacuations, Pose Health Risks

George Washington University — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 14:05:00 EST

Expert on the 1-year anniversary of devastating Maui wildfires: 'When people suddenly care about things, it can change norms'

University of Notre Dame — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:05:29 EST