Wildfires, long considered a problem exclusive to the West, now threaten many other parts of the country as extreme weather becomes more commonplace and more people live in areas at risk for wildfire.
Wildfires are not just a Western states problem, and they are active at different times across the country.
Three violent firestorms in southern Lake County, California, destroyed thousands of homes and killed four people last summer. Our new interactive tool allows you to explore maps and data about each blaze.
Do officials need to reconsider their approach to building where the risk of wildfire is highest?
Nearly 5,000 homes were destroyed or damaged when fires swept through Sonoma County. But fire had scorched a similar area of the county in 1964.
Last October, more than 170 wildfires ripped across Northern California. It was the deadliest fire incident in the state’s history.
A five-month KQED investigation of what happened the first night of the fires found systemic problems with California’s emergency response procedures.
Twenty-five years ago, a fire in the Oakland Hills demonstrated the serious risks in areas where homes intersect with nature. We talked to the lead meteorologist on duty the night of the blaze.
From Nixon to “firenadoes,” wildfires have touched many parts of American culture.
Wildfires are getting bigger, more expensive to fight and closer than ever to where people live. The consequences can be deadly. The next episode of Reveal examines how wildfires got so dangerous – and how some areas are fighting back.
At first, last December’s rains seemed like welcome relief for drought-stricken California. But while the moisture did little to hydrate trees and shrubs, it did lead to the widespread of growth of wild grasses, which dried out quickly and contributed to this year’s wildfire season.
