wildfires

Workers in dust masks wash fresh red bell peppers in smoky conditions outside of Eltopia, Wash. Even with the masks, the smoke is still causing tight chests, itchy eyes and dry throats.

As Wildfires Rage, Smoke Chokes Out Farmworkers And Delays Some Crops

7:03am August 29, 2018

by Anna King

Smoke from wildfires is blanketing much of the West. That's ruining some crops and may be stunting others. And it's making it difficult or unsafe for laborers to pick the harvest.

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This still frame from a video released earlier this week by Cal Fire shows the "fire tornado" forming over Lake Keswick Estates near Redding, Calif., on July 26.

WATCH: Massive 'Fire Tornado' Revealed In Footage Released By Officials

6:03pm August 17, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

California authorities say the behemoth killed a firefighter battling the Carr Fire last month. Larger than three football fields, the tornado was unlike anything they'd seen. Now, they have video.

Firefighters monitor a back fire as they battle the Mendocino Complex Fire on Tuesday near Lodoga, Calif.

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Largest California Wildfire Won't Be Contained Until September, Officials Say

7:36am August 08, 2018

by Scott Neuman

The Mendocino Complex Fire, the biggest in the state's history, now covers 457 square miles. Officials previously estimated Aug. 15 for its containment, but now say it won't be until Sept. 1.

A firefighter gathers water from a pool while battling the Ranch Fire near Clearlake Oaks, Calif., on Saturday.

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PHOTOS: As One California Wildfire Ebbs, Another Explodes

2:04pm August 06, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The Carr Fire, which killed seven people, has been partially contained and the threat to residents reduced. But the Mendocino Complex Fire is now the second-largest wildfire in state history.

A car passes through flames on Highway 299 as the Carr Fire burns through Shasta, California, on July 26. Fueled by high temperatures, wind and low humidity, the blaze has destroyed multiple structures and killed seven people.

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California Fires Spread Rapidly, Killing Seventh Victim

1:50pm August 05, 2018

by Shannon Van Sant

There are 18 fires blazing in California, and officials say this year the wildfires have spread faster and burned more land earlier in the fire season than usual.

A woman uses a portable fan to cool herself in Tokyo on Tuesday as Japan suffers from a heat wave. Scientists say extreme weather events will likely happen more often as the planet gets warmer.

When The Weather Is Extreme, Is Climate Change To Blame?

8:02am July 29, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

While it's difficult to attribute individual events to climate change, scientists say global warming makes extreme weather more common.

Judge Orders Boy Who Started Oregon Wildfire To Pay $36 Million In Restitution

3:39pm May 22, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

The judge acknowledged the teenager is unable to pay the full amount. He admitted throwing fireworks that started the Eagle Creek Fire, burning nearly 47,000 acres last year.

Echo, an English Labrador, narrows down the search for the ashes of Kathy Lampi's mother. She died in June, but her cremains were lost in the wildfire in October.

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Forensic Search Dogs Sniff Out Human Ashes In Wildfire Wreckage

9:52am February 03, 2018

by April Dembosky

Cremated loved ones were in some of the thousands of homes incinerated by wildfires in October. Archaeologists and search dogs are now looking for lost urns and human cremains among the rubble.

A firefighter snaps a quick picture amid efforts to contain the Thomas Fire in Montecito, Calif., earlier this month.

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As Winds Rise Once More, Firefighters Fear 'Flare-Up' In Massive Thomas Blaze

5:47pm December 20, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Lately, firefighters had seen a rare lull in the conditions that helped fan the Thomas Fire into the second-largest wildfire in modern California history. The forecast looks far less kind.

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Two Weeks In, Firefighters Battle To Save Homes From Southern California Wildfires

6:42pm December 17, 2017

by Leila Fadel

The Thomas Fire in Southern California is on it's way to being the largest in the state's history. Fourteen days in, the flames continue to burn in bone dry, windy conditions. It's burning above the wealthy areas of Santa Barbara County, it's only 40 percent contained and will likely burn for days to come.

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