Megafires: The New Normal In The Southwest
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
Is It Too Late To Defuse The Danger Of Megafires?
()Millions of acres of forest in the Southwest are overgrown — and ripe to ignite as climate change intensifies drought and heat. Selective thinning and other efforts aim to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, but those efforts may not be enough to overcome ever-bigger, ever-hotter fires.
Interactive
Fire Forecast
What's the wildfire danger in your area? Find out with "Fire Forecast," an interactive map that illustrates burning conditions across the county.
'Torture Lab' Kills Trees To Learn How To Save Them()
August 26, 2012 Just how do trees die? It seems like a simple question, but the answer still eludes scientists. And understanding forest ecology is increasingly important as the effects of climate change begin to take root.
A Century Of Forest Philosophy In One Image()
August 24, 2012 A panorama of a forest in Arizona compares forest lands that have been trimmed and thinned with untreated tree stands. Untreated stands are more vulnerable to bigger fires.
In Southwest, Worst-Case Fire Scenario Plays Out()
August 24, 2012 Climate change is exaggerating the normal swings in weather. For the American Southwest, that means more intense waves of heat, drought and fire that could wipe out trees that have stood for centuries. It's already revamping the ecology of the landscape.
Why Forest-Killing Megafires Are The New Normal()
August 23, 2012 Woodland forest fires are burning with such power and size, no one can remember anything like it. The problem with fires of this intensity is that the forests can't recover — they are completely destroyed.
How The Smokey Bear Effect Led To Raging Wildfires()
August 23, 2012 Huge wildfires are burning in the West — setting new records for damage this summer. These megafires are burning bigger and hotter than ever before. Scientists say climate change and a century-long policy of fire prevention — which inadvertently turned forests into giant tinderboxes — are to blame.
The Picture Show
Our Changing Forests: An 88-Year Time Lapse()
August 23, 2012 For the past century, the Forest Service has been sending photographers out to the same 13 points in Bitterroot National Forest in Montana every decade or so. The resulting photo series shows just how dynamic our forests really are.
