83 Large Wildfires Have Burned 1,366,587 Acres Across Western US Wildfire activity continues in 13 states where 83 large wildfires have burned 1,366,587 acres, reports the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Almost 22,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents. To date, 36,172 wildfires have burned 2,697,108 acres in the United States. Related: Brain Post: Burn Scars – How Wildfires Can Cause Dangerous Flash Flooding The National Preparedness Level remains […] Fire Firebrains | July 20, 2021 1 Comment
New Study Links Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19 A new study led by the Desert Research Institute in Reno, NV, has linked wildfire smoke exposure to an increased susceptibility to COVID-19. The study was published last week in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. Wildfire smoke is known to be hazardous to our health. It carries a mix of gases and particles, the most harmful of which […] Brains Hannah | July 20, 2021 0 Comments
Smoke Can Be Seen From Space From 220+ Wildfires Burning Across the PNW The extraordinary heatwave that scorched the Pacific Northwest in June 2021 has diminished, but substantial fires continued to burn across the region in July. Exacerbated by extreme heat and wind, more than 40 fires started burning across British Columbia in late June. By July 8, that number climbed to more than 200 active fires across the Canadian province, of which […] Fire Firebrains | July 12, 2021 0 Comments
NASA: More Than 40 Wildfires are Blazing Across British Columbia So far in 2021, British Columbia has already seen dangerous wildfires and heat. More than 40 wildfires were burning across the Canadian province by the end of June 2021, including a cluster of substantial blazes located about 200 kilometers northeast of Vancouver. Related: Death Toll Rises In Pacific Northwest Heatwave The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 […] Fire Firebrains | July 2, 2021 0 Comments
Death Toll Rises In Pacific Northwest Heatwave Since Monday, an unprecedented heatwave has torched regions across the northwestern United States and western Canada. The prolonged “heat dome” has been linked to hundreds of deaths and numerous wildfire breakouts. Earlier this week, Environment Canada issued a weather warning about the upcoming heatwave. “This record-breaking heat event will increase the potential for heat-related illnesses and increase the risk of […] Hannah | July 2, 2021 0 Comments
7 Wildfires Are Currently Burning More Than 26,000-Acres in Colorado There are currently seven wildfires in Colorado. The fires, six of which are in the northwest of the state, are currently burning 26,137-acres. Related: Wildfire Threatening Colorado Ski County Has Tripled in Size Yesterday, in response to the Muddy Slide Fire, the forest service closed Routt National Forest. 1. The Oil Springs Fire Size: 12,707 acres Location: 20 miles south of […] Fire Firebrains | June 25, 2021 0 Comments
NASA: Wildfires Raging in Arizona This post first appeared on NASA Earth Observatory Exceptional drought has gripped much of Arizona for months. In June 2021, a potent heat wave sent temperatures soaring above 115°F (46°C) on multiple days. Now extreme fires are raging throughout the state. Related: Arizona Snowbowl Forced to Close Due to Nearby Wildfires On June 21, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer […] Fire Firebrains | June 24, 2021 1 Comment
NOAA: Conditions in Northern Latitudes are Becoming More Favorable for Intense Burning and Fire Growth This article was originally published by Tom Di Liberto on Climate.gov on December 8, 2020 In the 2020 issue of NOAA’s Arctic Report Card, experts reported on the evolving wildfire landscape across the taiga—the boggy, coniferous forests that occupy much of the high northern latitudes. Rising air temperature and fuel availability over the past 41 years indicate that conditions in Earth’s largest […] Fire Firebrains | June 17, 2021 0 Comments
Classic Big Sur, CA Trail Reopening on Friday After 13-Year Closure Wildfires suck. They destroy everything—including your favorite hiking trails, sometimes leaving them closed for decades at a time. But now a popular Big Sur trail flanked by redwood trees that leads down through a gorge to a 60-foot waterfall is set to open Friday after a 13-year closure. 13 years ago, a wildfire destroyed access to the Pfeiffer Falls Trail […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 16, 2021 0 Comments
What is the Wildland Urban Interface and Why is it Important? The wildland urban interface (WUI) is where human-made structures are built adjacent to forests or other areas prone to wildfires. When you first think about where these areas are, you may expect them to only occur in rural areas. However, many WUI zones are in much more urban areas, as the name might suggest. These zones are crucial to defending […] Fire Alex Camerino | October 16, 2020 0 Comments
Forest Service Announces Increased Access to Some Californian National Forests The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced increased access to some National Forests in California beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2020. The prohibition of the use of any ignition source on all National Forest System lands (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) throughout California remains in place. Nine National Forests in California remain closed: Angeles NF, Cleveland NF, […] Fire Firebrains | September 22, 2020 0 Comments
Smoke from Western U.S. Fires Has Reached Europe Smoke from the major west coast fires has now reached parts of Western Europe. Earlier this week smoke had reached parts of the East Coast. The NWS forecast for last Wednesday shows major smoke moving into Canada, the North East U.S., and all the way down to Virginia. Related: As Wildfires Intensify New Smoke Forecasting Models Are Needed The smoke […] Fire Ryan Flynn | September 18, 2020 1 Comment
Smoke From Wildfires On the West Coast Has Reached New York City and Europe Smoke from the wildfires devastating much of the west coast reached the east coast Tuesday, and have even been reported as far east as Europe. A haze was noticeable in the sky in New York City, and Washington, DC, although thankfully the haze is so high in the sky, it should not affect air quality. Smoke has also been reported in the […] Fire Firebrains | September 16, 2020 1 Comment
Wildfires Are Getting Worse, What Can We Do To Help? Yes, wildfires are natural phenomena, however, they are getting worse due to climate change. The apocalyptic scenes coming out of California, Oregon, and Washington are a window into the future. The United States, the Russian Arctic, and Australia have all seen the most devastating fires in history over the last decade. Mother nature is ringing the alarm bells, but what […] Fire Alex Camerino | September 16, 2020 11 Comments
As Wildfires Intensify New Smoke Forecasting Models Are Needed New smoke forecasting models are being developed in response to wildfires intensifying across the western United States. The NOAA Smoke Forecasting System is good for predicting smoke movement across the US, however not as effective on a smaller scale. Related: The Intensity of California’s Wildfires is Causing Rare Volcanic Clouds Climate change is driving the intensification of wildfires worldwide. Increased […] Fire Alex Camerino | September 12, 2020 0 Comments
All Southern California National Forests Closed Due to Wildfire Risk | Mammoth Mountain Suspends Summer Operations From 5 pm yesterday evening, a number of National Forests in Southern California were closed to the public by the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region, to provide for public safety and reduce the potential for human-caused wildfire starts. The closure will run through September 14th, according to Emergency Forest Closure Order 20-07. Related: Bridger Foothills Fire Burning North of Bozeman, […] Fire Firebrains | September 9, 2020 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe, CA Fire Crews Attending to Illegal Fires on a Daily Basis North Lake Tahoe’s fire crews are attending illegal fires on a daily basis, diverting their attention from the major wildfires engulfing the state. Bonfires on the beach, grills or BBQs, and campfires are the most common offenses. Related: Arizona Trail Runner Heads Out For Training Run and Ends Up Fighting Wildfire There was a week in August where 15 wildfires were […] Fire Firebrains | September 4, 2020 0 Comments
How Weather Conditions Affect Wildfires Weather conditions affect wildfires in three key ways that can lead to easier suppression or an out-of-control blaze. The three major factors for the development or suppression of a wildfire are wind, humidity, and air temperature. Wind Wind is the most obvious driver of a wildfire. As the wind picks up it flattens out the flames, bringing them closer to ground […] Fire Alex Camerino | September 3, 2020 2 Comments
Using Reforestation for Avalanche Mitigation: Does it Work? A new study suggests that strategic reforestation may help to mitigate avalanches in certain areas. SLAB Laboratory, based in Vaud Canton of Switzerland, studies the physics of avalanches using computer-generated models fed with historic avalanche data. Researchers were interested to see how wildfires in 2018 affected the winter avalanche cycles in the mountains around Vaud. Related: Lake Tahoe Tree Deaths Double […] Avalanche Alex Camerino | August 28, 2020 5 Comments
Smoke From Wildfires in the West Affecting Air Quality as Far East as Kansas Almost 100 uncontrolled large fires across the western US are creating huge clouds of smoke affecting the air quality as far east as Kansas and the Great Plains. The smoke could soon spread into the southeast. Related: ‘State of Emergency’ Declared as Wildfires Blaze Across California Fires in California, Colorado, Oregon, and other western states have forced tens of thousands […] Fire Firebrains | August 25, 2020 1 Comment
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