Fire damage, as a research topic, refers to the physical, chemical, and structural alterations in materials, ecosystems, or built environments resulting from exposure to high temperatures and combustion processes. It encompasses thermal degradation of polymers and composites, charring and strength loss in wood, phase transformations and spalling in concrete, microstructural changes and residual stress development in metals, and alterations in soil and vegetation properties in ecological systems. Studies of fire damage quantify heat flux, temperature-time histories, material property evolution, and post-fire residual capacity, often using experimental fire testing, thermogravimetric and spectroscopic analyses, and computational fire and heat-transfer modeling to assess performance, safety, and resilience.
As we transition into spring, wildfires are on the minds of many Canadians. In fact, wildfires have already started in some parts of the country.
Ecology
May 11, 2026
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Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves about $3.75 in wildfire damages, according to a new study, led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, of nearly 300 fires in the western United States. The ...
Earth Sciences
May 7, 2026
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Grasslands and associated wildlife in the Great Plains of North America have declined precipitously and are now experiencing an increase in large wildfire activity. In a Journal of Wildlife Management study evaluating habitat ...
Plants & Animals
May 6, 2026
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In August of 2020, the Grizzly Creek fire burned more than 30,000 acres around Interstate 70 in Colorado's Glenwood Canyon. The following summer, several rainstorms swept across the area and sent devastating debris flows, ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 30, 2026
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The number of wildfires burning in the Western United States each year dropped roughly 28% over the past three decades, even as annual burned area and damage from wildfires have soared. A decline in fires accidentally sparked ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 30, 2026
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Antonio has spent the past seven years running toward fires that most others run from. A firefighter in the Brazilian Amazon since 2019, he works inside the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, one of the most biodiverse places ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 27, 2026
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Even after fires, severe droughts, and windstorms, the vegetation in degraded Amazonian forests demonstrates a high capacity for regeneration, including tree species. However, recovery occurs under new ecological conditions, ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 24, 2026
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Flames from raging wildfires in northern Japan were spreading towards the center of a town Friday, with authorities urging more than 2,500 people to evacuate their homes, media reports and the government said.
Environment
Apr 24, 2026
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California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published ...
Environment
Apr 22, 2026
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The loss of our forests is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Forests are key to curbing carbon emissions and protecting the plants, animals, and humans that call Earth home.
Environment
Apr 21, 2026
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