wildfires News

Wildfires Encircle Canada’s Oil-Sands City Amid Hot Weather

A ring of wildfires has erupted around Canada’s unofficial oil-sands capital of Fort McMurray, adding new threats to crude production from the world’s third-largest petroleum reserves. Eight out-of-control blazes have been discovered just south and southwest of the city since …

FEMA Ready for Extreme Hurricanes and Wildfires, But Money is a Concern

The head of the Homeland Security Department said that the agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country is prepared as it goes into what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season but he’s concerned about …

Wildfire Threats Make Utilities Uninsurable in U.S. West

Trinity Public Utilities District’s power lines snake through the lower reaches of the Cascade Range, a rugged, remote and densely forested terrain in Northern California that has some of the highest wildfire risk in the country. But for several years, …

Oregon Utility Regulator Rejects PacifiCorp Request to Limit Liability in Wildfire Suits

Oregon utility regulators have rejected a request from PacifiCorp that sought to limit its liability in wildfire lawsuits. Under the proposal, PacifiCorp would only have been responsible for paying out actual economic damages in lawsuit awards. The company submitted the …

Growing Wildfire Risk Leaves States Grappling With How to Keep Property Insurers From Fleeing

Months after a catastrophic fire burned more than 2,200 homes in Hawaii, some property owners are getting more bad news — their property insurance won’t be renewed because their insurance company has deemed the risk too high. It’s a problem …

‘Buffett Got it Wrong’ on California Fire Risk: PG&E CEO

Warren Buffett’s warning that wildfires have turned utilities across the western US into risky investments is mistaken — at least in California, according to the head of the state’s largest electricity provider. “Frankly, I think Buffett got it wrong in …

2024 Wildfire Forecast Calls for ‘Below Average’ Season

The approaching wildfire season may bring hazardous air quality from blazes burning across the U.S., but it’s expected to be below the historical average in terms of the number of fires and acres burned. AccuWeather’s forecast for the 2024 wildfire …

Wildfires Are Upending Some of the Safest Bets on Wall Street

When the Texas Panhandle went up in flames this winter, the news spread fast on Wall Street. An electric utility by the name of Xcel Energy Inc. was getting blamed for the massive blaze — a lawsuit pointed the finger …

Texas Among Several States Facing New Fire Risks: Weather Watch

More than 2.5 million people in the US face critical fire weather conditions on Monday as dry winds sweep parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, which had the largest fire in the state’s history earlier this year. …

Europe’s Wildfires in 2023 Were Among Worst This Century: Report

The 2023 wildfire season in the Europe was among the worst this century, according to a European Commission report published on Wednesday. Last year, more than half a million (504,002) hectares, an area twice the size of Luxembourg, was scorched …