Latest Wildfire Stories

VERGENNES, Vt., May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- May marks the start of wildfire season in the US, and authorities are predicting that 2013 will be a particularly dangerous year. Drought conditions, high temperatures, and high winds across the West have already put wildfire statistics for the year well above average. The coming high-hazard months (the remainder of May, June, July, and August) will bring particularly acute fire hazards to most of California, Oregon, Arizona, and New...

As wildfires spread through the West, Amica Insurance is sharing some tips to help protect homes and property. LINCOLN, RI (PRWEB) May 03, 2013 Wildfires are currently burning throughout Southern California, and Amica Insurance reminds everyone to be aware of their exposure to wildfire risks, and to take steps now to protect their homes and property. It’s important to realize that flames aren’t the only threat in a wildfire. The real danger often lies in hot embers that are blown by...

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Forest fires are a major cause of plant death and destruction, but they can also be a source of life as some dormant seeds begin to germinate in the aftermath of a raging inferno. Previous research has shown chemicals in the smoke of burning trees called karrikins are responsible for this phoenix-like rebirth. Now, a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has described new details on the mechanism behind...

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online New research claims charcoal created from wildfires does not remain in the soil as previously believed, but is instead transported into the sea by rivers, where it ultimately enters the carbon cycle. That determination was made by an international team of researchers, including Thorsten Dittmar from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI) in Bremen and Rudolf Jaffé from Florida International University's...

Airborne imaging technology developed at NASA and transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (USFS) in 2012 is being tested to prepare for this year's wildfire season in the western United States. The Autonomous Modular Sensor (AMS) is a scanning spectrometer designed to help detect hot-spots, active fires, and smoldering and post-fire conditions. Scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and USFS engineers installed it on a Cessna Citation...

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Airborne imaging technology developed at NASA and transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (USFS) in 2012 is being tested to prepare for this year's wildfire season in the western United States. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) The Autonomous Modular Sensor (AMS) is a scanning spectrometer designed to help detect hot-spots, active fires, and smoldering and post-fire...

SOUTHPORT, England, April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grass has always been a tough customer. Few other forms of plant life show such astonishing adaptability and resilience in the face of challenging conditions but the team at Turfland [http://www.turfland.co.uk ] are keen to point out that grass responds a little better when it receives a helping hand. After a long, cold winter that has stretched long into the spring time, grass is now facing a very new challenge. As this...

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Private sector aerial firefighters report their aircraft are mission-ready for what could be another devastating fire season in the US, as dry conditions continue to persist over much of the country. In fact, according to a US Forest Service (USFS) spokesman, the 2013 fire season is projected to be similar to last year's, when 9.3 million acres of wildland were destroyed, by a total of 67,674 fires. Operators of helicopters and...

World's Most Daring Wood Coaster Launches BRANSON, Mo., March 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- International attention is focusing on Branson, Missouri as the Silver Dollar City theme park debuted today a first-of-its-kind thrill ride, Outlaw Run, the world's most daring wood coaster. The park opened for the season and launched Outlaw Run's first riders on the groundbreaking wood coaster. To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click...

Alan McStravick for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online Forest fires are responsible for laying waste to entire ecosystems. As the flames rush through, animals attempt to make their escape, seeking shelter in less incendiary locales. Charred remains of trees and ground cover are completely unsuitable for sustaining the life of the animals that once called the area home. However, a new study led by bat ecologist Winifred Frick of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) reports the...