In ‘Breathing Fire,’ Jaime Lowe uncovers the benefits and drawbacks of California’s inmate fire program.
Wildfire
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
How to live with fire
Wildfire needs new narratives. The podcast ‘Fireline’ is a start.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Film: After wildfire, a motel becomes a temporary refuge
Nearly 8,000 people lost their housing in Oregon’s Labor Day fires. Some are finally finding a home, for now.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Hotels for those left unhoused by wildfires
As climate change ratchets up wildfire intensity, an Oregon program provides a step toward home.
Posted inJune 1, 2021: Once and Future Fires
Facing future wildfires, a community fights for its forest
Conflicting visions in central Idaho force tough decisions over logging and prescribed burning.
Posted inArticles
Klamath Tribes want beavers back in the Beaver State
Reintroducing the species creates important habitat for First Foods. But state laws don’t work in the animal’s favor.
Posted inArticles
A parched West heads into fire season
Several types of drought are converging, and all are at or near record levels.
Posted inArticles
The toxic, soupy biomass choking water systems in California
Algae blooms in Clear Lake are a public health risk and increase water treatment costs.
Posted inMay 1, 2021: Beauty and Biodiversity in the Borderlands
See the first-ever survey of the Atascosa Highlands
An ecologist and a photographer teamed to document and build a living archive of the Borderlands’ biodiversity — before it’s too late.
Posted inArticles
The story of Stephen Vest’s killing and how wildfires intensify tragedy
Vest survived California’s largest wildfire but was left unhoused. Last year he was killed in an incident where police shot at him 11 times.
Posted inArticles
The essential — and dangerous — work prisoners do
Incarcerated people respond to pandemics, wildfires, avian flu outbreaks, mudslides and more.
Posted inArticles
Study finds wildfire caused massive bird die-off
Research using crowdsourced data found a correlation with the birds’ deaths, nearby fires and toxic air.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
A punchy cougar; wildlife comms; COVID-safe hugs
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Wildfires may have unexpected climate impacts
Wyoming researchers find current models may underestimate how smoke blocks sunlight and cools the planet.
Posted inArticles
Documenting destruction from above
A young photographer highlights the environmental crises facing Indigenous communities at home and abroad.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2021: No Place Like Home
Through wildland firefighting, finding a space to heal
A grieving daughter encounters solace in an unexpected place.
Posted inArticles
Lawsuit over proposed fossil fuel railway in Utah moves forward
The plaintiff says funding earmarked for the project was meant for communities ‘to alleviate the boom and bust cycle of energy production.’
Posted inDecember 1, 2020: A Community Divided
20 signs that the climate crisis has come home to roost
From Alaska to Wyoming, evidence shows the climate is off-kilter in the West.
Posted inArticles
Are wildfires contaminating your drinking water?
Manufactured substances known as volatile organic compounds pollute water around the U.S., and they’re heightened in the aftermath of fires.
Posted inArticles
Colorado’s wildfires require a drastic and collective fix
Climate change should be seen as a number one priority.