wildfires

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Two Birds Might Be Purposely Starting Wildfires in Australia

Which opens the possibility that humans weren't the first to tame fire

(Newser) - Two species of birds might be deliberately starting wildfires in Australia, the Tech Times reports. This might seem outlandish, but cultural geographer Mark Bonta tells Newsweek it's "standard knowledge" among the aboriginal community and firefighters in northern Australia. According to the Washington Post , birds of prey are known...

Study: Fires Seem to Observe Religion, the Workweek

Australian researchers find weekly pattern to global wildfires

(Newser) - And on the seventh day, the wildfires rested. That’s what Australian researchers discovered after using NASA satellite images to track global fires—both naturally occurring and human-caused—from 2001 to 2013 as part of a new study . They found that there are fewer fires on Sundays—the Christian day...

Cali Wildfires Kill 1, Destroy 1.4K Homes

And thousands more homes are being threatened

(Newser) - A new wildfire in Northern California has killed one person and destroyed or damaged 10 homes in Monterey County, a week after two other blazes killed five people and destroyed at least 1,400 homes, fire officials said today. The blaze burning about 2 miles north of the community of...

Reporter Reunites Dog With Owner After Wildfire

Thumper is safe and sound

(Newser) - A great story out of the California wildfires, as told in the first person by Associated Press reporter Brian Skoloff. He met a 76-year-old man who had been evacuated to a high school near Middletown. After five days away, Lawrence Ross was worried about his home and his dog, and...

This 'Garden of Eden' Is Now Blackened Dust

Harbin Hot Springs among businesses torched by Valley Fire

(Newser) - The hot springs resort that fell victim to a raging wildfire was among the oldest hot springs of its kind in California—and just happened to have a clothing-optional policy, reports USA Today . Footage of the nonprofit holistic center Harbin Hot Springs in Middletown—which one visitor compared to the...

Wildfire Aftermath: 'That I Left Her There, It Haunts Me'

Barbara McWilliams had MS, told caretaker she didn't want to leave

(Newser) - Barbara McWilliams told her caretaker she didn't want to leave her home near Middletown, Calif., despite a nearby wildfire . The world traveler and sharp-minded woman with advanced multiple sclerosis said she would be fine. The decision ended up costing the 72-year-old her life . Her body was found late Sunday...

'Mind-Boggling' Calif. Wildfire Turns Deadly

One dead, at least 400 homes destroyed in Lake, Napa counties

(Newser) - Fire officials say one person is dead as California's fastest wildfire in recent history continues to race across the north end of the state. It's the blaze experts had feared all summer: At least 400 homes have been destroyed in Lake and Napa counties, with flames initially ripping...

Thousands Flee as Wildfires Sprint Across California

State of emergency declared

(Newser) - An explosive wildfire raced across several rural communities in Northern California, charring more than 60 square miles over a matter of hours, chasing thousands of people from their homes and sending four firefighters to the hospital with second-degree burns. The fire erupted in Lake County, about 100 miles north of...

This Striking Photo Emerges From West's Wildfires

Idaho man says dogs were protecting body of fawn

(Newser) - An Idaho man has captured an indelible image in the midst of that state's wildfires: It shows a sheepdog and her two pups appearing to guard a dead fawn. "They were definitely trying to protect it," Louis Armstrong of Kamiah tells KBOI2 . "I thought it was...

3 Firefighters Dead in Washington State

More are injured battling wildfire

(Newser) - Tragedy in Washington state today as three firefighters were killed fighting a wildfire in the north-central part of the state, reports KING5 . At least three more were injured, one of them critically. It's not clear what happened, but firefighters earlier were battling what KOMO describes as "strong, erratic...

Feds: We Have a Way to Fix Land After Disasters

Authorities say it will make damaged land more resilient

(Newser) - Federal authorities announced a plan today to produce massive quantities of seeds from native plants that can be quickly planted to help land recover from natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. The program will make landscapes more resilient and healthier, especially Western rangelands where massive wildfires have been an...

That Huge Calif. Wildfire Just Jumped a Barrier

It's 'moving at an extremely high rate of speed,' says fire chief

(Newser) - As firefighters battled a massive Northern California Northern California wildfire threatening numerous homes, some of the 13,000 people urged to flee were spending what may be just one of many nights in evacuation shelters. The blaze, which has charred nearly 97 square miles of brush and timber, jumped a...

$75K Reward Offered to Find Drone Pilots at Wildfires

California county is fed up with interference of firefighters

(Newser) - Firefighters battling California wildfires keep running into the same problem over and over —drones. Specifically, hobbyist drones being flown by someone presumably looking to take great images of the fire. The problem is that the drones prevent airdrops, and now authorities are banking on an old-fashioned solution: fat rewards....

A Cyclist Stops to Poop, Ends Up Starting Wildfire

Bureau of Land Management has advice for those heeding nature's call

(Newser) - Pooping in the wilderness is something Smokey Bear probably wouldn't have that big a problem with—but burning your toilet paper afterward is a different story. The Bureau of Land Management says a mountain biker in Idaho started a 73-acre blaze in the Boise foothills on Wednesday afternoon after...

Crazy Scene on Freeway: Wildfire Burns Cars

20 vehicles were destroyed

(Newser) - By now, we're used to seeing images of California wildfires destroying homes. But cars on the freeway? That was the case in San Bernardino County today as fast-moving fire swept across Freeway 15, reports KTLA . The fire destroyed 20 cars that had been abandoned on the road and damaged...

Arizona, Families of 19 Dead 'Hotshots' Reach Deal

State also promises more training after tragic 2013 deaths of elite firefighters

(Newser) - Today marks the two-year anniversary of the deaths of 19 elite firefighters in an out-of-control Arizona wildfire, and it also brings a measure of closure as the state of Arizona announced today it has settled two lawsuits against the state's Forestry Division for more than $600,000 to the...

'Mind Blowing' Fire Burns Entire Neighborhood

Severe drought fuels Washington state wildfire

(Newser) - From just across the Wenatchee River, Dominick Bonny watched a whole neighborhood in his central Washington town burn as a wildfire destroyed two dozen homes and forced hundreds to flee. "With the wind blowing away from us, it was like we were watching a natural disaster within arm's...

Hobbyist's Drone Interferes With Air Drops on Wildfire

Forest Service says 3 planes had to scrap mission in California

(Newser) - Somebody flying a drone over a raging California wildfire this week probably got some awesome photos. The problem for everyone else is that the 4-foot drone forced three planes that planned to drop retardant to scrap their missions, reports the Los Angeles Times . One was a DC-10 with about 11,...

Fire Strikes Heart of Sled Dog Country

500 dogs rescued from Sockeye fire

(Newser) - A huge Alaska wildfire has prompted help from people offering their homes to scores of displaced residents—and their animals. The "Sockeye Fire" north of Anchorage has led to the voluntary evacuation of up to 1,700 structures and has struck the heart of sled dog country, including 15...

Expect More Lightning in Coming Years
Expect More Lightning in Coming Years
STUDY SAYS
Nov 14, 2014 4:55 PM CST

Expect More Lightning in Coming Years

Study: Climate change could spur up to 50% more strikes over next century

(Newser) - The US and China are working together to temper greenhouse-gas emissions, which could come in handy now that scientists are saying climate change might cause something else down the road: more lightning strikes. A study in Science says lightning frequency in the continental US could spike by more than 12%...

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