When firefighters speak out on global warming, we ought to listen – ‘30-year, 40-year veterans have never seen this before’

By Char Miller24 August 2015 (The Guardian) – Climate change is worsening the fires that ravage many parts of America each year. Grime-streaked firefighters battling one of the 167 active wildfires currently scorching portions of the US west will tell you as much. What they have encountered on the firelines in the past few years […]

Smoke from Lake Baikal inferno descends on Eastern Siberia

By Lynn Jenner24 August 2015 (NASA) – Lake Baikal in Eastern Russia, the deepest and oldest lake in the world, is home to 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water.  As of 24 August 2015 this lake is facing a crisis with 36 fires equaling an area of 138,500 hectares (342,240 acres) currently burning […]

Washington wildfire is now largest in state history – ‘It’s only August 24th. We could see this go clear to the first of November.’

By Donna Blankinship and Brian Skoloff24 August 2015 OKANOGAN, Washington (AP) – The massive fire burning in north-central Washington is now the largest in state history. The Okanogan Complex of wildfires has surpassed last year’s Carlton Complex blazes, fire spokesman Rick Isaacson said Monday morning. The Okanogan Complex was measured overnight at just over 400 […]

Smoke lifting Sunday over Washington state fires – ‘It’s like a flue opening in a fireplace’

By Donna Blankinship and Brian Skoloff23 August 2015 OKANOGAN, Washington (AP) – The massive cloud of smoke began to lift over Washington wildfires on Sunday. But as air quality improves, the fire’s behavior could become more erratic and intense, fire officials said. “It’s like a flue opening in a fireplace,” said Suzanne Flory, spokeswoman for […]

Image of the Day: Satellite view of smoke from wildfires in the U.S. Northwest, 23 August 2015

LANCE/MODIS satellite view of wildfires in the U.S. Northwest, 23 August 2015   LANCE/MODIS satellite view of wildfires in the U.S. Northwest, 22 August 2015. LANCE Rapid Response MODIS images Technorati Tags: wildfire,forest fire,NASA,global warming,climate change,pollution,drought,California

Siberia in flames – Around Lake Baikal, ‘it feels like doomsday’

23 August 2015 (The Siberian Times) – These unnerving images show the scale of destruction from wildfires close to Lake Baikal, the jewel of Siberia. The sky is aglow over the Republic of Buryatia from the uncontrolled burning, the latest outbreaks of fires that have been destroying forests around the world’s oldest and deepest lake […]

Washington state asks for volunteer help to fight forest fires, for the first time in state history

By Drew Mikkelsen21 August 2015 OMAK, Washington (KING 5 News) – With wildfires straining resources, Washington officials say that for the first time in state history they’re coordinating help from residents who have and can operate equipment like backhoes and bulldozers to dig fire lines. The Department of Natural Resources says its command posts have […]

NASA satellite captures thick plumes of smoke from wildfires

18 August 2015 (ABC) – As wildfires continue to burn dozens of homes and force thousands of evacuations around the Pacific Northwest, NASA has released images illustrating the massive plumes of smoke and charred Earth that can be seen from space. Wildfires have burned around 7 million acres, according to NASA, which is 2 million […]

Three killed, four injured fighting ‘Hell Storm’ wildfire near Twisp, Washington – ‘The conditions throughout the area remain extremely dangerous’

By Rob Kauder19 August 2015 SPOKANE, Washington (KXLY) – Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said Wednesday evening three firefighters have been killed and three to four more have been injured while battling raging wildfires. Rogers called the dire situation these firefighters faced near Twisp a “Hell Storm,” with the fire racing across the ground, being […]

Wildfire statistics for the U.S. West, 19 August 2015

19 August 2015 (Desdemona Despair) – Famous Northwest weatherman Cliff Mass recently posted about wildfires in Washington State (A Real Surprise: FEWER Acres Than Normal Have Burned over the Northwest This Year). Professor Mass shows some great graphs from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center of the Bureau of Land Management: Fuels and Fire Danger [pdf]. […]

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