Wildfire risk Archives

July 24, 2026

Hot, dry conditions set the stage, but it takes a short-lived local window of opportunity to produce an extreme wildfire...

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: As El Niño approaches, scientists predict fierce heatwaves, wildfires and floods

Inside Climate News

Hydrology

May 13, 2026

Emerging Pacific Ocean heat, combined with ongoing human-caused global warming, is a grim recipe for deadly climate extremes. Heat alone...

AG ALERT: Warm, dry start of spring sparks fire season concerns

Ag Alert

Wildfires and watersheds

May 6, 2026

By Tim Hearden More than seven years after the Camp Fire ripped through the Paradise area in Butte County, burning...

EOS: Want to predict wildfire severity? Look to the state of vegetation

American Geophysical Union

Wildfires and watersheds

May 6, 2026

A new study connects satellite data on vegetation condition, topography, and weather conditions to examine the predicted versus actual burn...

AGU: Western U.S. wildfires have gotten less frequent, though larger

American Geophysical Union

Wildfires and watersheds

May 1, 2026

In populous regions, higher population density is linked to fewer fires, while adding people to emptier areas makes blazes more...

NOAA: Phase of El Niño-Southern Oscillation foreshadows U.S. wildfire activity up to a year in advance

NOAA Research

Hydrology

May 1, 2026

New research shows how La Niña and El Niño influence U.S. wildfires By NOAA Research The Pacific Ocean’s El Niño-Southern...

CAL MATTERS: Sparse snowpack in California fuels concern over fast-approaching fire season

Cal Matters

Hydrology

April 2, 2026

With reservoirs brimming — but snowpack abysmal — experts warn of a potentially early fire season. By Rachel Becker, Cal...

GRIST: These maps show exactly where the West might burn this summer

Grist

Wildfires and watersheds

April 2, 2026

Amid drought and heat waves, April’s national wildfire forecast shows that nearly the entire Western U.S. will face an above-normal...

THE CONVERSATION: What the historic snow drought means for water, wildfires and the future of the West

The Conversation

Wildfires and watersheds

March 26, 2026

By Alejandro N. Flores, Boise State University Across much of the Western United States, winter 2026 was the year the...

AGU: Nearly three-quarters of western US overdue for wildfires

American Geophysical Union

Wildfires and watersheds

December 18, 2025

For a decade, nearly four million hectares per year would need to burn just to catch up From the American...

MONGABAY: Restoring forests or risking flames? Scientists debate active management

Mongabay

Wildfires and watersheds

August 15, 2025

By John Cannon, Mongabay On Sept. 8, 2020, a brush field in southern Oregon, in the northwestern U.S., caught fire....

UCSB: The atmosphere’s growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains

UC Santa Barbara

Hydrology

June 5, 2025

By Harrison Tasoff, UC Santa Barbara Hot air holds more moisture. That’s why you can blow your hair dry even...

EDWARD RING: Rebuilding requires reimagining environmentalism

Edward Ring

Commentary Planning and management

April 9, 2025

By Edward Ring, Director, Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center Helping thousands of victims of the wildfires...

AG ALERT: Q&A: Wade Crowfoot talks California’s natural resources

Ag Alert

Policy and regulation

April 9, 2025

From Ag Alert: California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot leads efforts to conserve the state’s environment and natural resources—water, air...

DESERT RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Weather whiplash is amplifying wildfire risk

Desert Research Institute

Hydrology Wildfires and watersheds

February 19, 2025

A new report examines how atmospheric changes contributed to January’s devastating Southern California wildfires By Elyse DeFranco, Desert Research Institute...