The Burning Issue
Wildfire season in North America has gotten progressively more intense over the past few decades, lasting longer and burning nearly 10 times as many acres as it did just 30 years ago. As these disasters worsen, we’ve seen fires reshape communities and economies across the U.S. West. Follow Grist as it delves into all aspects of the 2021 fire season — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
In This Series
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![A firefighter wearing a yellow vest, orange helmet and black pants walks past burned houses in Los Angeles. In the background, against the blue sky, semi-burnt trees are visible.]()
![A firefighter wearing a yellow vest, orange helmet and black pants walks past burned houses in Los Angeles. In the background, against the blue sky, semi-burnt trees are visible.]()
No matter the fire risk, California insurance companies can’t cancel your policy
State officials have banned companies from revoking renewals of policies in high fire risk areas.
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![a landscape scene where large, red flames burn behind trees and power lines]()
![a landscape scene where large, red flames burn behind trees and power lines]()
Can burying power lines prevent California’s next big wildfire?
PG&E, one of the country’s largest utilities, wants to put 10,000 miles of lines underground.
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![Ponderosa pines are silhouetted by the diffuse orange glow of smoke lit by dozens of fires.]()
![Ponderosa pines are silhouetted by the diffuse orange glow of smoke lit by dozens of fires.]()
As California’s fire season ramps up, “unprecedented” is getting a lot of use
The Caldor and Dixie disasters are just a glimpse of what this fire season could hold.
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![Illustration: silhouette of a woman looking at a large wildfire]()
![Illustration: silhouette of a woman looking at a large wildfire]()
Welcome to the Pyrocene
We have created a planetary fire age. Now we have to live in it.
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![Smoke from California's Blue Ridge Fire turned skies a hazy orange.]()
![Smoke from California's Blue Ridge Fire turned skies a hazy orange.]()
New study strengthens link between wildfire smoke and severe COVID
Smoke from last year’s West Coast wildfires was associated with almost 20,000 excess COVID-19 cases.
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![Firefighters fight the Dixie Fire on July 26 amid smoky skies.]()
![Firefighters fight the Dixie Fire on July 26 amid smoky skies.]()
The Dixie Fire is moving too fast for California’s emergency alert systems
TV broadcasts and phone calls are no match for today’s quick-moving fires.
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![Two people in Saint Paul, Minnesota, taking photos of the city shrouded in smoke from wildfires in Canada]()
![Two people in Saint Paul, Minnesota, taking photos of the city shrouded in smoke from wildfires in Canada]()
Wildfire smoke in Minnesota brings dystopian skies to the Midwest
‘Unprecedented’ haze from wildfires blanketed the Twin Cities last week. More smoke is coming.
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![Collage: photo of a wildfire inside of a speech bubble]()
![Collage: photo of a wildfire inside of a speech bubble]()
Conservatives may be willing to take on climate change — if you call it something else
Fires are raging in their backyards. But many still scoff at global warming.
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![A highway with traffic cones and house-like buildings on the side of the road. Large wildfire flames engulf nearby trees. The whole scene is a burnt orange color due to smoke.]()
![A highway with traffic cones and house-like buildings on the side of the road. Large wildfire flames engulf nearby trees. The whole scene is a burnt orange color due to smoke.]()
As extreme heat and wildfires rage, a ‘protection gap’ threatens Californians
Here’s what the state could do to stem the costs of climate disasters.
