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WILDFIRESSounding the Alarm: Fire's Speed Is More Threatening Than Its Size
Most news reports about wildfires include the number of acres a given fire has burned, but according to a new study, these reports should also note how fast the fire is moving.
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WILDFIRESEfforts to Build Wildfire Resilience Are Heating Up
Stanford’s campus has become a living lab for testing innovative fire management techniques, from AI-powered environmental sensors to a firebreak-creating “BurnBot.”
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WILDFIRESCongressional Staff Learn to Fight Wildfires with Legislation
Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment recently hosted a first-of-its-kind “boot camp” in which congressional staffers got a crash course from experts in climate, forestry, fire science, utilities, insurance, and other wildfire-related topics.
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WILDFIRESAI Technology and Self-Coordinating Drones to Detect and Investigate Wildfires
Engineers have developed a swarm of self-coordinating drones for firefighting, as part of an effort to develop cost-effective early mitigation strategies for wildfires.
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FIRE-PROOFING BUILDINGSNew Gels Could Protect Buildings During Wildfires
Researchers have developed a sprayable gel that creates a shield to protect buildings from wildfire damage. It lasts longer and is more effective than existing commercial options.
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FIREFIGHTINGInnovating Firefighting Technology with Smart Solutions to Enhance Urban Resilience
The increase in high-rise and densely populated urban development has heightened the demand for safety and resilience solutions against emergencies, such as fires. Researchers have created advanced technological solutions to enhance firefighting and urban resilience.
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WILDFIRESHow the Marshall Fire Sparked a Political Transformation in Colorado
After the fire destroyed his town in 2021, a state rep took on insurance companies, mortgage lenders, and landlords — and beat them all.
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WILDFIRESFuture Climate Change Will Impact Opportunities for Prescribed Fires
Prescribed burning is one of the most effective tools to prevent catastrophic fires. Some locations in the United States are facing a future where safe conditions to burn are fewer and farther between.
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WILDFIRESUsing Drone Swarms to Fight Forest Fires
Forest fires are becoming increasingly catastrophic across the world, accelerated by climate change. Researchers are using multiple swarms of drones to tackle natural disasters like forest fires.
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WILDFIRESReforms Needed to Expand Prescribed Burns
Prescribed fire, which mimics natural fire regimes, can help improve forest health and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire. But this management tool is underused in the fire-prone U.S. West and Baja California, Mexico, due to several barriers. Study highlights four strategies to overcome barriers to prescribed fire in the West.
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TRANSPORTATION SECURITYFire-Tested Systems Help Crews Survive Truck Burn-Overs
Terrifying moments when flames can overrun and burn over a fire truck are called flashover or burn-over. While firefighters have strategies and operational procedures to minimize risk, these dangerous events still occur and can be fatal. Water spray systems are protecting fire trucks and firefighters from burn-overs.
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WILDFIRESResidents Unprepared for Wildland Fires, Face Barriers in Implementing Prevention Measures
Individual and social factors contribute to lack of preparedness, despite many available residential wildfire mitigation and educational programs.
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WILDFIRESImproving Strategy for Social Media Communications During Wildfires
In the last 20 years, disasters have claimed more than a million lives and caused nearly $3 trillion in economic losses worldwide. Specifically examining wildfires, researchers contradict existing crisis communication theory that recommends Disaster relief organizations (DROs) speak with one voice during the entirety of wildfire response operations.
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WILDFIRESSimultaneous large wildfires will increase in Western U.S.
Simultaneous outbreaks of large wildfires will become more frequent in the Western United States this century as the climate warms, putting major strains on efforts to fight fires. This trend threatens to stretch firefighting resources.
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WILDFIRESWhat Fuels Wildfires in Sierra Nevada Mountains
Wildfires in California, exacerbated by human-driven climate change, are getting more severe. To better manage them, there’s a growing need to know exactly what fuels the blazes after they ignite. One of the chief fuels of wildfires in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains is the decades-old remains of large trees.
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The long view
WILDFIRESEfforts to Build Wildfire Resilience Are Heating Up
Stanford’s campus has become a living lab for testing innovative fire management techniques, from AI-powered environmental sensors to a firebreak-creating “BurnBot.”