WILDFIRES

A pilot is injured after a plane crashed in Lake Livingston Tuesday afternoon while responding to wildfires in Polk County.

Wildfires have been burning from Alaska to Greece this month - are they becoming more common?

Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to nine fires across the state this week, saying they “have the potential to exhaust state and local resources.”

The Wildlife Trust is advising people to take picnics instead of BBQs as temperatures are due to rise.

Nobody wants storms or fires. But for Texas politicians, responding to disasters can be a welcome change of subject from political fights in an election year.

Climate change has made the Texas heat hotter and longer-lasting, enhancing drought conditions that set the stage for intense fires. More than 40% of the state is in an extreme drought.

Wildfires have burned more than 58,000 acres across the state. At least one person has died and dozens of homes have burned down.

Wondering what that smell is across Houston Friday?

Controlled burns, used to prevent catastrophic wildfires, are typically safe and rarely get out of control. Experts warn that burns gone awry can scare residents and compromise the critical fire management tool.

Wildfires are devastating communities across the country.

Smoke from fires in the western United States have burned over 1.2 million acres, and according to the National Interagency Fire Center, over 19,000 firefighters and support workers have been deployed to handle the blaze.

Smoke from wildfires burning in western states is hurting air quality across Colorado.

Firefighters are working to get control of a wildfire burning in Bastrop County that has grown to 100 acres Saturday, according to the Bastrop County Emergency Services.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesTexas – Millions of fish along the Texas Coast were killed during the winter storm, according to the Texas and Wildlife Department. An estimated minimum of 3.8 million fish were killed during the Feb. 2021 freeze event. According to the Texas and Wildlife Department, the massive fish kill consisted of at least 61 species. Non-recreational species contributed to 91% of the total mortality in numbers of fish. Likewise, the Upper Laguna Madre experienced black drum mortality at an estimated 82,600 fish killed.

ANAHUAC, Texas – 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.

Storms and wildfires rage in the same satellite photo snapped by NASA's Aqua satellite. A satellite spotted several tropical storms and dozens of wildfires ravaging the United States together in one image. NASA's Aqua satellite captured six tropical storms and more than 100 different U.S. wildfires in a single photo snapped on Tuesday (Sept. 15). In the Atlantic, on the right of the image, are several other tropical storms. In the lower right-hand corner of the image, you can see Hurricane Teddy, swirling east of the Leeward Islands.

"A Climate In Crisis" explores wildfires, hurricanes and the science behind them The CBSN special ""A Climate In Crisis"" explores how climate change is impacting wildfires, hurricanes and other extreme weather events around the world. Lana Zak and CBS News meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli talk science and policy with bioclimatologist Park Williams, former climate skeptic Jerry Taylor and Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash.

HOUSTON – Four firefighters from Porter have returned home after spending more than three weeks battling wildfires in California. Brandon Shafer, Joseph Sullivan, Ryan Johnson and Stephen Sever arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The crew worked on multiple fires in California, mainly trying to stop them from spreading further. The firefighters initially drove out west, which took about two days, and quickly got to work. The firefighters are looking forward to spending time with their families and said they would make the trip again, if needed.

HOUSTON – Firefighters and support personnel across the state of Texas are being deployed to parts of California to help battle the devastating wildfires, Gov. In August, the governor deployed 44 firefighters, 10 fire trucks and two command vehicles to the region. The Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System will help mobilize those resources from the departments across the state. “Texas is ready to answer the call for help when disaster strikes -- whether it’s here in the Lone Star State or across the country,” Abbott said. “I thank the brave men and women serving in our fire departments across Texas for stepping up to help Californians in need as these fires continue to burn.

This photo taken by Talent, Ore., resident Kevin Jantzer shows the destruction of his hometown as wildfires ravaged the central Oregon town near Medford late Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Fearing for his life, he drove his car to the entrance of a nearby mobile home park, where his tires began melting. Oregon officials haven’t released an exact death count for the wildfires but at least four fatalities have been reported in the state. Oregon officials were shocked by the number of simultaneous fires, which stood at 37 Thursday, according to the state Office of Emergency Management. AP freelance photographer Paula Bronstein also contributed to this report from Talent and Phoenix, Oregon.

A number of Northern California wildfires sent a thick, orange-glowing haze over the San Francisco area Wednesday, leaving the Bay in an eerie darkness. A fire burning in Butte County, located northeast of San Francisco, has forced thousands to evacuate from their homes, according to The Associated Press. (2020 Getty Images)An orange glow fills the sky above the Embarcadero in San Francisco. (2020 Getty Images)Smoke from various wildfires blankets the San Francisco skyline in darkness and an orange glow, seen from Treasure Island in San Francisco. (2020 Getty Images)An exterior view of the ballpark in San Francisco, California.

The bushfires in Australia are still ravaging parts of the country and are wreacking havoc on small communities and rural towns. The damage has been devastating and news of the bushfires has spread overseas with many activists and celebrities sharing photos of the devastation on social media. There are many different places where you can donate money to help with relief, and many celebrities have shared donation links and even donated themselves. I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. Another Australian actor, Russell Crowe, who is in Australia right now, posted that he donated $105,000 to firefighters.

MAGNOLIA, Texas – Dozens of firefighters from the United States arrived in Australia on Monday to help fight the increasingly devastating wildfires burning throughout that country. More than one hundred fires have destroyed more than 14 million acres and thousands of homes and other buildings since September. Vincent worked as incident commander for the Tri-County wildfire, the largest in East Texas history. He has also traveled to Australia several times to work with firefighters there as a visiting teaching fellow. The local Greater Houston area task force, Texas Task Force 1, has not been asked to deploy at this time.

Large wildfires are burning in the West, including two fires in California. They're being fueled by triple-digit heat. This comes as a "heat dome" smothers much of the nation. Mireya Villarreal has more.

CBS News' Mireya Villarreal reports on the fight against the deadly California wildfires.

More than 135,000 acres are charred as 21 fires blaze across the hot, dry West. Two of those fires have merged into one, threatening 800 homes northeast of Los Angeles. Carter Evans has more.

More than 55,000 acres of farms and ranches have been charred after howling winds caused four wildfires to spread in Northwest Oklahoma. Manuel Bojorquez is there.

The wildfires out West turned deadly Wednesday as three firefighters were killed. Drought and heat have combined to make this one of the worst fire seasons in the state with more than 330,000 acres burned so far this year. CBS News' Danielle Nottingham reports.

The wildfires out West turned deadly Wednesday as three firefighters were killed; Last year's ALS ice bucket challenge helped raise $115 million in just two months.

Firefighters struggle to contain wildfires burning faster than they expected in California. CBS News Correspondent Ben Tracy joins CBSN to discuss the fires.

From Montana to California, at least 20 large wildfires are burning in the West. CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports on the struggle to contain them.

Wildfires scorching U.S. in record numbers The San Juan fire in Arizona has charred nearly nine square miles in just four days. It’s one of six wildfires currently burning across the country. Nationwide, there have been more than 26,000 wildfires since January, compared to 22,000 for all of 2013. Carter Evans reports.