267 Items Tagged

Fires

Put-In-Bay, Ohio

Ruins of the Hotel Victory

What was one of the largest hotels in the country burned to the ground in a tragic fire.

Los Angeles Central Library fire of 1986

Unusual Love Stories: Traveling Unprepared With Susan Orlean

Author Susan Orlean talks travel romance, burning books, and how ditching the itinerary can make a trip better.

The Podcast Team September 8, 2025

A child being led on a horse at Rocking Horse Ranch

Paul Scheer’s Top 3 Embarrassing Places

Actor and comedian Paul Scheer can’t go back to these places without cringing.

The Podcast Team August 21, 2025

Race Course Fire Memorial

Behind Hong Kong Stadium stands a memorial to one of the city’s most tragic disasters.

Inside Wonderwerk Caves, underground caves and excavation, Kuruman, Northern Cape

Wonderwerk Cave

A million years ago, our ancient ancestors were cooking with fire in this cave.

No thanks.

AO Mailbag: Which Places Just Aren’t Worth Visiting?

We look for wonder everywhere we go. But today, let’s talk about the trips that aren’t worth it.

The Podcast Team June 24, 2025

Reykjavik, Iceland

Holdsveikraspítalinn í Laugarnesi

The remains of a hospital that housed over 200 leprosy patients.

As they build their underground burrows, pangolins dig deep and turn over soil, which encourages plant growth and creates shelter for dozens of other species.

Say Hello to Nature’s Fire Brigade

When it comes to restoring land and preventing wildfires, animals like pangolins, beavers, and elephants have a lot to offer. Can helping them help us?

Annie Roth April 7, 2025

Effigies that don't win the vote are burned, like this one from 2022's festival.

These Fantastic Spanish Sculptures Were Built to Burn

Las Fallas is both a "collective exorcism" and a celebration of craft.

Vittoria Traverso March 19, 2025

The lights of Los Angeles shine behind this mountain lion, photographed with a motion sensor camera. These big cats share the scrubby landscape with wealthy suburbs.

How Will California’s Wildfires Affect Wildlife?

From fleeing mountain lions to scorched soil, the aftermath of intense fires shows an ecosystem transformed.

Phoebe Weston January 21, 2025

Bagillt Dragon Beacon

This towering, fire-breathing dragon guards a community’s buried treasure.

Firefighters and natural resource specialists wrap the base of General Sherman, the largest tree in the world by volume, with fire-resistant material.

In the National Parks, Fire Crews Do More Than Fight Fires

Protecting sensitive habitats and cultural resources from the smoke and flames is part of the job too.

Cameron Walker January 13, 2025

A satellite image shows smoke from the Palisades Fire spreading across Los Angeles and out into the Pacific Ocean on January 7, 2025.

The Unusually Strong Force Driving Apocalyptic Los Angeles Wildfires

Powerful seasonal winds combined with drought-starved vegetation have made the Palisades Fire one of the worst in California history.

Umair Irfan January 9, 2025

New Year's Eve 2011

13 Unusual Places to Ring in the New Year

Cold plunge, burn, or dance your way into a new year.

Roxanne Hoorn December 27, 2024

Tomar, Portugal

Molly Williams Mural

In Portugal, a larger-than-life painting of America's first Black female firefighter.

Trees and other plants can’t escape wildfire smoke.

Trees Hold Their Breath to Avoid Wildfire Smoke

Researchers made the surprise discovery when wildfire smoke blanketed their test site.

Delphine Farmer and Mj Riches August 5, 2024

Battle, England

The Oldest Guy Fawkes Effigy

Every fifth of November, effigies of Guy Fawkes are thrown onto bonfires across Great Britain. But this Guy has managed to survive his fiery fate for almost 300 years.

Our ancestors may have mastered fire more than a million years ago, but not everyone inherited that know-how and it shows.

How to Build a Campfire

(Without poisoning yourself or burning down the forest.)

Karuna Eberl June 17, 2024