Breaking News: Wildfires

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Released: 25-Sep-2023 3:05 PM EDT
UC Irvine scientists reveal what fuels wildfires in Sierra Nevada Mountains
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 25, 2023 — Wildfires in California, exacerbated by human-driven climate change, are getting more severe. To better manage them, there’s a growing need to know exactly what fuels the blazes after they ignite.

Newswise: Effective visual communication of climate change
Released: 20-Sep-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Effective visual communication of climate change
Geological Society of America (GSA)

The consequences of a warming climate frequently dominated the news this summer, from devastating wildfires and floods to deadly heat waves across the globe.

Newswise: National Poll: 2 in 3 parents say kids have experienced poor or unhealthy air quality
13-Sep-2023 10:05 AM EDT
National Poll: 2 in 3 parents say kids have experienced poor or unhealthy air quality
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

As smoke from Canada's historic wildfires triggers poor air quality alerts across the country, many parents worry about the impact on their child’s health, a new national poll suggests.

Newswise: Extreme environments expert discusses causes of recent wildfires
Released: 28-Aug-2023 4:00 PM EDT
Extreme environments expert discusses causes of recent wildfires
Virginia Tech

Wildfires in Hawaii have devastated the island of Maui. Canada continues to experience its worst ever wildfire season, with more than 1,000 active fires. Brian Lattimer, Director of Virginia Tech’s Extreme Environments and Materials Lab, explains what the Maui and Canadian wildfires have in common.

Released: 22-Aug-2023 1:30 PM EDT
People drive more slowly than usual during wildfire evacuations
Lund University

During extensive wildfires, residents may need to evacuate to stay safe, but knowing when to leave is sometimes unclear.

Newswise: REBURN: A new tool to model wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and beyond
Released: 21-Aug-2023 8:00 AM EDT
REBURN: A new tool to model wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and beyond
University of Washington

A new tool, REBURN, can simulate large forest landscapes and wildfire dynamics over decades or centuries under different wildfire management strategies.

Released: 18-Aug-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Explore the avian world. Read the latest research on Birds here.
Newswise

The discovery that birds evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs of the Late Jurassic was made possible by recently discovered fossils of theropods such as Tyrannosaurus rex and the smaller velociraptors. In a way, you could say that dinosaurs are still with us and seen tweeting from your own backyard! Below are the latest research headlines in the Birds channel on Newswise.

Newswise: How climate change puts property values at risk in forested areas
Released: 17-Aug-2023 12:00 PM EDT
How climate change puts property values at risk in forested areas
University of Utah

Earth’s rapidly changing climate is taking an increasingly heavy toll on landscapes around the world in the form of floods, rising sea levels, extreme weather, drought and wildfire. Also at growing risk are the values of the property where these hazards are projected to worsen, according to a new study by University of Utah scholars. The research team, led by biology professor William Anderegg, attempted, for the first time, to quantify the value of U.S. property at risk in forested areas exposed to increased wildfire and tree mortality associated with climate stresses and beetle infestation.

Newswise: image.jpg
Released: 17-Aug-2023 11:35 AM EDT
Wildfire disaster and recovery in Maui will cause long-lasting community stress and trauma, says disaster resilience expert
Virginia Tech

Hundreds of people are still missing and rubble scorched ground is all that is left after wildfires decimated parts of Maui. Lahaina is facing years of rebuilding, as very little is left of the tourist town.   Liesel Ritchie is a disaster resilience expert and associate director of the Center for Coastal Studies at Virginia Tech.

   
Newswise: Experts available to comment on Maui fires, Kansas newspaper raid, Chinese tech investment ban, AI in schools
Released: 15-Aug-2023 10:55 AM EDT
Experts available to comment on Maui fires, Kansas newspaper raid, Chinese tech investment ban, AI in schools
Indiana University

Experts from Indiana University are available to comment on a variety of topics in the worlds of politics, finance, education and disaster response making headlines the week of Aug. 14, 2023.

   
Released: 14-Aug-2023 10:35 AM EDT
Dry lightning can spark wildfires even under wetter conditions
Washington State University

Dry lightning can still be disastrous even when conditions aren’t so dry, a study has found.

Newswise: FSU expert available to comment on how humans are fueling devastating wildfires
Released: 10-Aug-2023 4:55 PM EDT
FSU expert available to comment on how humans are fueling devastating wildfires
Florida State University

In the picturesque paradise of Maui, an ominous pattern of destruction has been unfolding.  Devastating wildfires, once considered a rarity on the Hawaiian island, have become increasingly frequent and ferocious. As flames consume vast swaths of land this week, scientists and residents are grappling with the stark realization that these infernos are largely of our own making.

Released: 10-Aug-2023 3:20 PM EDT
Climate projections detail future risks for many people worldwide
Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI)

Extreme weather events have dominated the news this summer, with reports on extensive wildfires in Canada; dangerous flooding in India, Japan, and the Eastern US; severe heat waves in Spain, China, the United States, and Mexico; and the hottest day ever recorded on Earth.

Released: 10-Aug-2023 2:45 PM EDT
As Kids Go Back To School, Parents Prepare For A Healthy School Year
Hackensack Meridian Health

Medical experts offer tips on various back to school health concerns to prepare for a healthy successful school year.

Released: 7-Aug-2023 11:50 AM EDT
New initiative takes a three-pronged approach to wildfires in the Southwest
Northern Arizona University

A $5 million grant from the Office of the Governor is funding the Arizona Wildfire Initiative (AZWI), an innovative new program at NAU aimed at ensuring the state of Arizona is better prepared for wildfire prevention, management and recovery.

Newswise: Fanning the flames
7-Aug-2023 8:10 AM EDT
Fanning the flames
Washington University in St. Louis

Wildfires are causing a much greater warming effect than previously accounted. A new study focused on the role of “dark brown carbon” — an abundant but previously unknown class of particles emitted as part of wildfire smoke — highlights an urgent need to revise climate models and update approaches for the changing environment.

Newswise: Scientists dig into wildfire predictions, long-term impacts
Released: 2-Aug-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Scientists dig into wildfire predictions, long-term impacts
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Wildfires are an ancient force shaping the environment, but they have grown in frequency, range and intensity in response to a changing climate. At the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists are working on several fronts to better understand and predict these events and what they mean for the carbon cycle and biodiversity.

Released: 1-Aug-2023 5:05 PM EDT
Tip Sheet: Talking about pain with your doctor, the microbiome and graft-vs.-host disease, and RNA’s role in prostate cancer
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center research findings and other news. Reporting on wildfire smoke? Fred Hutch clinicians and researchers are available to their expertise. Dr. Trang VoPham is an epidemiologist focusing on environmental exposures and risk, follow her on social media.

Newswise: Improving wildfire predictions with Earth-scale climate models
Released: 31-Jul-2023 3:05 PM EDT
Improving wildfire predictions with Earth-scale climate models
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Wildfires have shaped the environment for millennia, but they are increasing in frequency, range and intensity in response to a hotter climate. The phenomenon is being incorporated into high-resolution simulations of the Earth’s climate by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with a mission to better understand and predict environmental change.

Released: 25-Jul-2023 12:15 PM EDT
Calling for Cancer Centers to Lead on Climate Disaster Preparedness
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Cancer centers are uniquely positioned to protect cancer patients from climate-driven disasters, but researchers identified significant shortcomings in emergency preparedness when it came to climate-related disasters.

   
Newswise: Coyote_E05_burned_BN-1.png?w=690
Released: 18-Jul-2023 5:30 PM EDT
Hidden cameras spot wildlife returning home after 2018 megafire
University of California, Berkeley

During the summer of 2018, the Mendocino Complex Fire ripped through UC’s Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC), transforming the Northern California property’s grassy, oak-dotted hillsides into a smoldering, ash-covered wasteland.

Released: 18-Jul-2023 10:20 AM EDT
Rutgers Leads Study of Wildfire Air Pollution in New Jersey
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Hazy, hazardous conditions from climate change-driven Canadian wildfires have prompted researchers to examine the physicochemical and toxicological properties.

   

Not for public release

This news release is embargoed until 17-Jul-2023 12:05 PM EDT Released to reporters: 17-Jul-2023 12:05 PM EDT

A reporter's PressPass is required to access this story until the embargo expires on 17-Jul-2023 12:05 PM EDT The Newswise PressPass gives verified journalists access to embargoed stories. Please log in to complete a presspass application. If you have not yet registered, please Register. When you fill out the registration form, please identify yourself as a reporter in order to advance to the presspass application form.

   
Released: 12-Jul-2023 6:05 AM EDT
Worsening wildfires have EMSL researchers looking for impact on soil, climate
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory - EMSL

Steven Allison, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Earth System Science, is using EMSL capabilities to uncover mysteries from the Earth beneath our feet. Allison explains how his research could help us understand severe events, like wildfire patterns, and how they affect soil microbiomes.

9-Jul-2023 11:00 AM EDT
Addressing justice in wildfire risk management
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

The unequal distribution of wildfire risk in our society is influenced by various factors, such as social vulnerabilities and intersecting forms of inequality, including gender, age, ethnicity, or disability. A new article calls for more integrated and inclusive wildfire risk management approaches and proposes a novel framework mapping different justice aspects.

Newswise: clark_wildfire_natl_park-scaled.jpg
Released: 29-Jun-2023 5:00 PM EDT
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire – and normal numbers of national park visitors
Ecological Society of America

Wildfire smoke threatens human health and welfare, especially if humans are exposed to smoke for long periods or while exercising – such as during a hiking trip to one of America’s beloved national parks.

Newswise: Air pollution via wildfire smoke takes toll on labor markets, University of Illinois team finds
Released: 27-Jun-2023 10:15 AM EDT
Air pollution via wildfire smoke takes toll on labor markets, University of Illinois team finds
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A study analyzing wildfire smoke exposure across the continental U.S. from 2007-2019 found that increases in smoke exposure cause significant decreases in earnings and employment outcomes for U.S. workers across a wide variety of sectors, including manufacturing, crops production, and transportation.

   
Released: 26-Jun-2023 10:35 AM EDT
Radar can help fight wildfires, identify flash-flood risks
Washington University in St. Louis

Smoke from forest fires in Canada cast a pall over St. Louis this month as well as other parts of the Midwest and the East Coast. New radar remote sensing technology can help reduce the amount of time it takes to produce a useful map of burned areas, helping emergency managers to respond to the threat of flash flooding after fires.

Released: 21-Jun-2023 10:20 AM EDT
Wildfire smoke downwind affects health, wealth, mortality
Cornell University

Smoke particulates from wildfires could cause between 4,000 and 9,000 premature deaths and cost between $36 to $82 billion per year in the United States, according to new research.

   
Newswise: Predicting Future Flames
Released: 20-Jun-2023 1:45 PM EDT
Predicting Future Flames
University Of Illinois Grainger College Of Engineering

Wildfires can destroy homes, businesses, communities, infrastructure, and most importantly, lives. Researchers at CIRI are working on models to not only track wildfires, but also predict where they could spread to next.

Newswise: How Microgrids Can Help Communities Adapt to Wildfires
Released: 15-Jun-2023 11:10 AM EDT
How Microgrids Can Help Communities Adapt to Wildfires
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

An international team led by research scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has found that clean energy microgrids offer a better and cheaper solution for protecting California communities from wildfire-related outages, compared to conventional microgrids.

Newswise: Wildfire Smoke Threatens Already Endangered Orangutans
Released: 15-Jun-2023 10:05 AM EDT
Wildfire Smoke Threatens Already Endangered Orangutans
Cornell University

Pronounced vocal and behavioral changes caused. by wildfire smoke make it possible to assess the health of wild orangutan populations by monitoring the frequency and quality of their sounds.

Released: 14-Jun-2023 1:15 PM EDT
The heat is on! Don't panic. Get the latest news on heat waves and the dangers of heat in the Extreme Heat channel
Newswise

As we enter the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere and the possibility of extreme heat becomes more common, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the science of heat waves and take measures to protect ourselves from this growing public health threat.

       
Newswise: Experts available to comment on trending news topics for the week of June 12
Released: 14-Jun-2023 12:20 PM EDT
Experts available to comment on trending news topics for the week of June 12
Indiana University

Experts from Indiana University are available to comment on trending topics in this week's news, including the impact of Canadian wildfires on U.S. air quality, protecting against summertime mosquitos and ticks, and the history and significance of Juneteenth.

Released: 12-Jun-2023 3:30 PM EDT
Human-caused climate change to blame for increase in California’s wildfires
University of California, Irvine

In the quarter century between 1996 and 2020, wildfires in California consumed five times more area than they did from 1971 to 1995. Researchers at the University of California and other international institutions have concluded that nearly all of the increase in scorched terrain can be blamed on human-caused climate change.

Newswise: Human-caused climate change at the center of recent California wildfires
8-Jun-2023 3:10 PM EDT
Human-caused climate change at the center of recent California wildfires
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

A new study by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist and collaborators shows that nearly all the recent increase in summer wildfire burned area in California is attributable to human-caused (anthropogenic) climate change. Anthropogenic simulations yielded burn areas an average of 172% higher than natural variation simulations.

Released: 12-Jun-2023 4:05 AM EDT
An AI tool that could help prevent wildfires
Aalto University

Wildfires are becoming more common, but machine learning can help cut them short



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