Wildfires can unleash hidden health threats, including promoting the spread of infections.
Articles on LA fires
Displaying 21 - 34 of 34 articles
Human bodies aren’t prepared for the toxic chemicals in smoke, and the effects can be harmful in the short term and long term.
During an emergency event, clear communications are essential for ensuring safety. False alerts, like the one sent out on Jan. 9 in Los Angeles, can contribute to confusion and anxiety.
Mike Davis traces natural disaster and climate change in Los Angeles over centuries, painting a vivid picture of a city on the perpetual brink of catastrophe.
The causes of the wind-driven fires that burned thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area are under investigation, but there were no lightning strikes reported at the time.
In emergencies, dumping ocean water on fires may be the best option. But seawater can have long-term effects on equipment and ecosystems, as a novel coastal experiment shows.
It’s vital to understand how climate drivers played out before and during the LA wildfire emergency – because many Australian cities face the same climate risks.
Fires can make drinking water, and the water pipes and tanks themselves, unsafe. A researcher who has worked with communities after several wildfires explains why, and what to do.
The heath-related impacts of climate change will reach US$1 trillion a year by 2050.
This record-breaking heat is primarily driven by humanity’s burning of fossil fuels. The warming won’t stop until we reach net-zero emissions.
The state is seeing a sharp water divide this year, with lots of rain in the north while the south has stayed dry. A hydrologist explains what’s happening.
The chemicals emitted when buildings and vehicles burn can find their way into nearby homes. Studies show the health risks can stick around.
Where people live today also makes a difference when it comes to fire risk.
We knew this would happen eventually. We have moved from possible futures to these things now happening. The deferment has ended.
Top contributors
-
Reader in Cultural Geography and Communication, University of Westminster
-
Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
-
Associate Director of Research, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Smithsonian Institution
-
ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne
-
Professor emeritus, The University of Melbourne
-
Professor of Civil, Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Purdue University
-
Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania
-
Research Ecologist, USGS; Adjunct Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
-
Associate Professor of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder
-
Senior Research Hydrologist, University of California, San Diego
-
Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia
-
Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder
-
Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney
-
Associate Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management, York University, Canada
-
Associate Director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and The West, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences