Fires, as a research topic, encompass the study of uncontrolled combustion processes in natural or built environments, including their ignition mechanisms, propagation dynamics, energy release, and interaction with surrounding materials and atmospheres. Scientific investigation addresses thermal radiation, convection, and conduction, flame chemistry, plume behavior, and the production and transport of particulates and gaseous emissions. Research spans wildland and forest fires, structural and industrial fires, and their impacts on ecosystems, air quality, climate, and human health. It also includes fire detection, modeling, and suppression strategies, as well as risk assessment and mitigation within environmental, engineering, and public safety frameworks.
The Northwest Forest Plan, adopted in 1994, helped quell mounting tensions between timber companies and environmentalists. It protected large swaths of old-growth forest in Washington, Oregon and California to preserve habitat ...
Environment
Jan 21, 2026
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Wildfires that have killed 20 people in southern Chile and wiped out entire towns raged for a third day Monday, fanned by warm temperatures and strong winds at the height of the southern hemisphere summer.
Environment
Jan 19, 2026
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Uncontrolled wildfires tore through communities in southern Chile, leaving charred ruins in their wake and at least 19 dead, authorities said, announcing the latest toll on Sunday.
Environment
Jan 18, 2026
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Growing up in Greece, wildfires were a constant presence each summer. In 2007, I remember watching TV footage of fires ravaging the Peloponnese peninsula and island of Evia, destroying forests and homes, taking lives. The ...
Environment
Jan 17, 2026
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Victoria has just suffered some of its worst bushfires since the Black Summer fires of 2019–20. Over 400,000 hectares are estimated to have burnt so far, an area more than five times larger than Singapore.
Plants & Animals
Jan 16, 2026
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Multi-ignition wildfires are not overly common. But when individual fires do converge, the consequences can be catastrophic. The largest fire on record in California, the 2020 August Complex fire, grew from the coalescence ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 15, 2026
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When fire breaks out in the low-gravity, high-stakes conditions inside spacecraft or space stations, it behaves very differently than back here on Earth.
Space Exploration
Jan 14, 2026
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Devastated by widespread fires, Victoria has declared a state of disaster. More than 500 structures have reportedly been destroyed and 1,000 agricultural properties have been affected. Tragically, there has also been one ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 14, 2026
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The number of wildland fires burning in the Arctic is on the rise, according to NASA researchers. Moreover, these blazes are burning larger, hotter, and longer than they did in previous decades.
Earth Sciences
Jan 14, 2026
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Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) conducted a series of large-scale tests to investigate factors that affect flame spread beneath photovoltaic (PV) panel installations on flat, commercial and industrial rooftops. The research ...
Environment
Jan 12, 2026
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