Why winter, yes winter, fires are burning in California
During the deep of California’s winter, telltale plumes of smoke are rising from the hills. Midwinter Western fires are unusual because the cooler, wet season dampens the potential for flames.…
Colossal fires look ever more menacing, viewed from space
If intelligent life beyond Earth (should it exist) could view our planet right now, they might be astonished by the great plume of smoke curling over the ocean. It’s a…
Watch a plane fly through San Francisco’s orange, dystopian skies
The dystopia is colored orange. The profoundly dense smoke layer over the San Francisco region on Sept. 9, born from California’s record-breaking fire season, resulted in a dramatically orange glow…
Fire experts: Western fires are ‘unreal’
Wildfire experts and meteorologists are aghast at the explosion in Western wildfires. Massive, rapidly moving fires have come alive in California, Washington, and Oregon as potent winds fanned flames over…
Terrifying images of California’s wildfires show firefighters tackling the flames
As the heat wave in California continued over the weekend, and the National Weather Service issued critical warnings, firefighters have been battling intense wildfires across the area. Five counties —…
Why more heat will pummel California
Another blast of heat will sting California. The National Weather Service expects much of the fire-ravaged state will experience unusually hot early September temperatures over Labor Day weekend and beyond,…
California fires are supercharged by this potent factor
Potent fires have been erupting in California since mid-August. That’s when a lightning siege of over 13,000 strikes, from passing storm systems, started igniting the land. The siege sparked some…
California looks like a nightmare from space right now
The second and third largest fires in California history are now burning at the same time. Along with over 500 other fires. The Golden State — a region with long,…
Popular wildlife cam just became a dreadful fire cam
Hundreds of fires are burning in California. One of these many blazes, the Dolan Fire, is a grim scene on the normally pleasant explore.org wildlife webcams in the Ventana Wildlife…
California fire spawns towering, ashy clouds
When wildfires grow hot and large enough, they can spawn towering, smoky clouds. The Apple Fire burning in Southern California’s San Bernardino National Forest produced these big plumes, called pyrocumulus…