It can be tempting to think that the recent wildfire disasters in communities across the West were unlucky, one-off events, but evidence is accumulating that points to a trend.
In a new study, we found a 246% increase in the number of homes and structures destroyed by wildfires in the contiguous Western U.S. between the past two decades, 1999-2009 and 2010-2020.
As predicted, the Thomas Fire in Southern California was officially declared the largest wildfire in state history, surpassing the 2003 Cedar Fire which burned 273,246 acres and killed 15 people. The vast blaze, now 89 percent contained, has burned through 281,620 acres, according to CalFire. More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged and […]
More than 8,400 firefighters are battling the Thomas Fire raging in Southern California’s Pacific coast. The massive blaze, which charred 270,000 acres, destroyed 1,024 structures and took the life of 32-year-old Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson, is officially the third largest wildfire in state history. Notably, the Thomas Fire—now 45 percent contained—could potentially take the […]
As six large wildfires and several smaller fires burn across Southern California, firefighters, first responders and everyday Americans are stepping up—and risking their lives—to rescue fellow citizens, homes, buildings and animals from the blazes. About 5,700 firefighters are battling the region’s brushfires around the clock in intense heat and grueling conditions. Some come from nearby […]
California is reeling from an especially bad year of wildfires, from the wine country fires in the North during October to the out-of-control flames currently raging across the South. In fact, the Golden State has been experiencing a higher frequency of intense wildfires in recent years, with 13 of the largest 20 wildfires in state […]
California is burning again. A massive wildfire fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds has spread some 31,000 acres in Southern California, destroying 150 structures and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate. The outbreak comes not long after October’s string of devastating wildfires in Northern California that killed 44 people—the deadliest in state history. The Thomas Fire […]
Insured losses from fires in Northern California have topped $1 billion and are expected to rise “dramatically,” state insurance officials announced Thursday. The state estimates that the fires have now torched 8,400 buildings and left 42 dead, making these fires the deadliest in the state’s history. Fighting wildfire is now costing the U.S. billions of […]
Firefighters continue to battle against 17 wildfires that have burned more than 220,000 acres in California, Cal Fire announced in a Friday update. The death toll from the Northern California blazes has risen to 31, the deadliest week for wildfires in the state’s history. “We had series of statewide fires in 2003, 2007, 2008 that […]
Firefighters continue to battle the unprecedented wildfires ravaging Northern California. As of Wednesday, the fast-moving blazes—aided by high winds and low humidity—have burned nearly 170,000 acres and destroyed at least 3,500 homes and commercial structures since the outbreak started Sunday. The confirmed death toll has risen to 23, with 285 reported missing. Thousands have been […]
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