State Wildfire Preparedness level raised to Level 4 as high fire danger is forecast this week
Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the State Wildfire Preparedness level to Level 4 due to the recent increase in wildfire activity across the state and the growing potential for wildfires to become more severe, making them harder to control.
Study: Wildfires produced up to half of pollution in US West
Researchers say smoke from wildfires accounted for up to half of all small particle air pollution in parts of the western U.S. in recent years (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)BILLINGS, Mont. โ Wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging small particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent years as warming temperatures fueled more destructive blazes, according to a study released Monday. Air pollution experts say that residents of the West Coast and Northern Rockies in particular should expect major smoke events from wildfires to become more frequent. But Mickley said there's little doubt air quality regulations helped decrease other sources of pollution even as wildfire smoke increased. The new study matches up with previous research documenting the increasing proportion of pollution that comes from wildfire smoke, said Dan Jaffe, a wildfire pollution expert at the University of Washington.
Firefighters battle large wildfires at national wildlife refuge in Chambers County
HOUSTON โ U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials said they are battling three large wildfires Thursday in the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in southern Chambers County. Ryan Holzapfel, fire marshal for Chambers County, said multiple resources have been called to the scene by federal officials, but the county has not been asked for assistance. The cause of the fire is unknown and no injuries have been reported.
Smoke wafting over parts of northeast Houston from wildfire in Anahuac refuge
ANAHUAC, Texas โ Smoke wafts over parts of northeast Houston from a large wildfire in the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Officials expect the fire to produce a lot of smoke throughout the day as they work to extinguish it. Officials said about 2,200 acres have burned as of WednesdayOfficials said the fire is about 50% contained and entirely within the refuge. Officials are bringing in a fire suppression helicopter in hopes the fire will be under control by Wednesday evening. Cooper said firefighters from other wildlife refuges and wildland specialists are assisting in the wildfire.
Battle on to save Brazil's tropical wetlands from flames
An recently burned area at the Encontro das Aguas park at the Pantanal wetlands near Pocone, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. Wildfire has infiltrated the park as the number of fires at the world's biggest tropical wetlands has more than doubled in the first half of 2020, according to data released by a state institute. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)BRASILIA โ A vast swath of a vital wetlands is burning in Brazil, sweeping across several national parks and obscuring the sun behind dense smoke. From January through August, the number of fires more than tripled, topping 10,000. On Friday, Brazil's navy used a helicopter to rescue a burned jaguar cub and take it to a veterinary hospital.
California avoids major power outages as wildfires rage
A photo tweeted by the California National Guard showed more than 20 evacuees packed tightly inside one helicopter, some crouched on the floor clutching their belongings. Eric Schmitt of the California Independent System Operator that manages the states power grid said up to 3 million customers faced power outages if residents didn't curtail their electricity usage. About 7 p.m., the California Independent System Operator declared an emergency and said power outages were imminent because a transmission line carrying power from Oregon to California and another in-state power plant went offline unexpectedly. It said no power outages were ordered by operators of the grid. Cal Fire said the fire scorched at least 4.7 square miles (12.2 square kilometers) of brush and trees.