Wildfires

Researchers pored over roughly four dozen papers that assessed exposure to various carcinogens on the fireline. They identified 31 carcinogens – including asbestos, volatile organic compounds like benzene and crystalline silica.

Researchers were looking at PM 2.5 pollution, made up of particles with diameters at least 30 times smaller than human hair. They found that for every additional microgram from wildfires per cubic meter of air on average over rolling 3-year periods, patients faced an 18% increase in the odds of a dementia diagnosis. The figure for non-wildfire PM 2.5 was just 1%.

Wildfires are often talked about in terms of the acres they burn, or the number of structures they destroy. New research is bringing attention to their speed – and evidence that they’re accelerating.

When a natural disaster forces people to evacuate, not everyone gets the message – or is physically or financially able to get out of harm’s way. On today's In The NoCo, we talk with a researcher who studies how communication during emergencies works... and how it can be improved to help keep people safe.

For 10 straight days this month, the country was at a preparedness level of 5 (PL5), the highest on the scale used to measure wildfire activity and resource availability. Since 1990, there is only a single past instance of a PL5 day in October, which came in 2020.

Recent research from Colorado State University shows that plants will pause photosynthesis in smoky and polluted environments.

Wildfires in Colorado can devastate communities. But there’s research that shows wildfires and other natural disasters can also make communities stronger. Today on In The NoCo, a CU Boulder researcher looks at surprising ways that catastrophes can strengthen bonds between neighbors.

Hundreds of workers for state and federal forests in the Southeast have pivoted to helping with hurricane response.

The U.S. is struggling to replant forests destroyed by increasingly destructive wildfires, with some areas unlikely to recover. Researchers are studying which species are likely to survive — and where — as climate change makes it difficult or impossible for many forests to regrow.

Without action, the government could shut down after September 30. Along with that, federal wildland firefighters would see the end of temporary raises as large as $20,000.