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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.
cats

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, Wales

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.
forests

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.
disasters

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
The Loony Dook.
List

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.
forests

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.
fires

How to Build a Campfire

(Without poisoning yourself or burning down the forest.)
Karuna Eberl June 17, 2024
Lisbon, Portugal

Church of St. Dominic

The scorched Lisbon church that survived two earthquakes and a massive fire.
Lullington, England

Lullington Church of the Good Shepherd

This tiny church is one of England's smallest.
Tacoma, Washington

Fireboat No. 1

This landmark vessel dry-berthed in Tacoma's harbor served in emergencies and ceremonies for more than 50 years.
In the American West, preventing wildfires is becoming all the more crucial. Meet one of the helpers.
nasa

Why NASA Is Watching Where Idaho’s Parachuting Beavers Landed

The mini-paratroopers have a new role to play today.
Danielle Hallock January 25, 2024
Lassen Peak dusted from a fall snow storm and framed by trees affected by the 2021 Dixie Fire.
national parks

Lassen Volcanic National Park Bounces Back After California's Largest Single Fire

In 2021, the Dixie Fire burned much of the park. Now, Lassen's recovery offers surprising lessons on resilience.
Dani Anguiano January 8, 2024
Humboldt, Kansas

Humboldt Raid Civil War Monuments

Twelve unique carved plaques across Humboldt tell a story of the ingenuity and bravery of ordinary citizens during the city's burning.
Mountain, Wisconsin

Mountain Fire Lookout Tower

Once part of an extensive network of fire towers, this is one of the few remaining in this Wisconsin forest.
Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage
Edinburgh, Scotland

Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

A museum dedicated to firefighting in a city that was crucial to the modern history of the profession.
Camp Century trench construction in 1960. Caption reads "Metal arch forms being emplaced over undercut trench."
science

Wonder Is Everywhere: Viking Hoaxes, a Secret Nuclear Ice Base, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White November 22, 2023