Articles tagged with Fire
Researchers at University of Nottingham have developed a new laser scanning test to assess fire-damaged concrete structural safety. The technique uses terrestrial laser scanning to detect damage and provides an accurate assessment of the material's strength changes when heated to elevated temperatures.
Researchers at Binghamton University have figured out how much damage memory units can sustain before becoming unreadable and developed new repair techniques to retrieve clues. Scientists found that plastic coverings break down after three hours of exposure to temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius, but memory chips remain readable.
A study by Michel Laroche and Marcelo Nepomuceno found that people with certain world views react differently to thoughts of death. Compulsive shoppers are more likely to buy when thinking about mortality, while anti-consumers resist consumption more strongly.
A two-year study led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine found no significant reduction in pneumonia cases among children using cleaner burning biomass-fueled cookstoves. However, a secondary analysis showed a 42% decrease in non-serious burns in the cookstove group.
Archaeologists have discovered a collection of 55 species of edible plants, including seeds, fruits, nuts, and tubers, at the Gesher Benot Ya'aqov site in Israel. The finds, dated to 780,000 years ago, provide evidence of the plant-based diet of early humans during the Acheulian culture.
Researchers at the University of Arizona will lead a collaborative project to develop the framework for a larger long-term study of cancer in firefighters, focusing on measuring exposures and determining mechanisms. The goal is to reduce cancer risk in firefighters through improved occupational health and safety practices.
Scientists have successfully synchronized two types of nano-oscillators, one driven and the other mutual, achieving robust synchronization over long distances. This breakthrough enables future oscillatory networks for wave-based neuromorphic computing.
Wildfires in Indonesia and Borneo exposed 69 million people to unhealthy air pollution, resulting in thousands of premature deaths. The study estimates that between 6,150 and 17,270 premature deaths occurred due to breathing in the polluted air.
Multiple wildfires are currently burning across several states in the southern United States, including the Boteler, Maple Springs, Tellico, Party Rock, Chestnut Knob, Rough Ridge, and Rock Mountain fires. The largest fire, the Rough Ridge fire, has burned over 19,411 acres in Georgia's Cohutta Wilderness Area.
Researchers found that large decadal-scale shifts in the Sierra Nevada fire regime were related to changes in human activity, rather than climate change. Human land use patterns heavily influenced the fire regime, with four distinct time periods identified.
Research reveals that forest fire activity in California's Sierra Nevada has been driven by human land use rather than climate change. The study found four distinct periods of altered fire regimes corresponding to different types of human occupation and land use.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that large fires create a diverse landscape, making it difficult for bark beetles to launch widespread attacks. This variability protects forests from future outbreaks, as trees take decades to reach their preferred size.
Researchers analyzed tree-ring evidence with climate data, finding a pattern of fires over 500 years that intertwined El Nino patterns and human activity. The study suggests that indigenous populations used fire for resource management, creating dry firewood for various needs.
Research at Ohio State University found that powerful individuals become more indecisive when torn between two equally good or bad choices, taking longer to make a decision. This effect is particularly pronounced for those who feel powerful and ambivalent about an issue.
A Duke University study found that roadside garbage fires in India produce a toxic rainbow of pollutants, with concentrations 1,000 times greater than ambient air. The variability in emissions stems from the diverse trash materials and smoldering combustion, highlighting the need for improved waste management practices.
Researchers found that managing wildfires instead of suppressing them improves forest diversity, water storage, and drought resistance. This approach increases stream flow and downstream water availability, benefiting both the environment and agriculture.
A new study reveals that human-induced climate change has doubled the area affected by forest fires in the U.S. West over the last 30 years. The study found that heightened temperatures and resulting aridity have caused fires to spread across an additional 16,000 square miles than they otherwise would have.
A new study by researchers at the University of Idaho and Columbia University finds that human-caused climate change has nearly doubled the amount of land burned in western US forest fires over the past three decades. The study estimates that human-caused climate change caused an additional 16,000 square miles of western forest lands t...
Researchers at the University of Zurich have created the world's first global PyC database, revealing charcoal is a major component of soil worldwide. The study found PyC represents more than half of the organic matter identified, with agricultural land and high pH soils retaining it best.
A new study by USC scientists has mapped the electric current induced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the human brain. The research provides solid data to develop science-based treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, including depression and chronic pain.
A study published by Texas A&M scientists found that red imported fire ants can increase the abundance of small mammals and reduce the number of ticks in an ecosystem. This could lead to a decrease in tick-borne disease transmission to humans and animals.
A recent study found that mixed-severity fires, also known as 'Goldilocks fires,' can increase biodiversity of birds in California forests over time. The research suggests that forest managers should prioritize managing forests to promote a mixture of intensities, resulting in a mosaic of patches with different burn severities.
A new study by UCSB researchers indicates that shifts in vegetation type resulting from warming and other factors may have an equal or greater effect on stream flows in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Vegetation change can lead to changes in water availability for urban, agricultural, and environmental needs.
A study found that firefighters shun safety equipment due to peer pressure and the romanticized notion of their profession. Researchers surveyed 123 firefighters across the US, discovering that younger firefighters often resist wearing personal protective gear due to traditional firehouse values.
Researchers have designed a smart membrane that stops battery discharge when not in use, allowing for rapid recharging. The technology aims to improve the range of electric cars by tens of miles per minute, outpacing the current limit of 0.4 miles per minute.
The Blue Cut Fire in California is a rapidly growing wildfire that poses an imminent threat to public safety, rail traffic, and structures in several areas. The fire has already affected over 82,000 people and damaged an estimated number of structures, with firefighters battling hot, dry, and breezy conditions.
A Griffith University study found that high-frequency fires can disrupt nutrient cycling and modify beetle populations in some forest ecosystems. The research aims to improve fire frequency management by understanding the effects on soil, plant, animal, and microbial communities.
Researchers identified hundreds of western US counties with high risk of exposure to wildfire smoke, affecting up to 82 million people by 2051. The study found that climate change will cause longer, more intense, and frequent 'smoke waves' impacting children, seniors, and communities.
A team of Penn State researchers identified a genetic mutation in modern humans that increased their tolerance to toxic smoke and fire. This mutation, found only in humans, may have given ancient humans an edge over Neandertals, who were more susceptible to respiratory problems and cellular toxicity.
A new study on the King Fire in California finds that even large, intense fires like this one do not exterminate spotted owls. In fact, owl populations may be resilient to megafires, contrary to previous studies, which suggests a reevaluation of forest thinning and prescribed burns as conservation strategies.
A genetic mutation in modern humans may have allowed them to effectively process toxic compounds produced by fires, potentially giving them an evolutionary edge. This mutation is thought to be linked to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and may have helped humans adapt to environmental toxin exposures.
Drone-launched fireballs can aid in wildfire suppression and ignite prescribed burns for grassland restoration. High-intensity fires are effective in killing invasive shrubs, promoting fire-adapted grasses.
A study by Michigan State University criminologist Jeremy Wilson found that public safety consolidation can work well for some communities but isn't the best solution for others. Consolidation efforts generally encountered difficulties in larger and more diverse communities, while success varied widely among different models and methods.
A recent study published by the University of Montana forest ecology professor Andrew Larson estimated that burned white fir forests in Yosemite alone could produce an average crop of over 1 million morels per year. The research provides concrete data on morel abundance, supporting park rules allowing personal use picking.
A new study published in Fire Ecology chronicles the history of forest fires in Oklahoma and Tennessee to determine their importance in maintaining forest health. Researchers found that forest fires are vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems, with some areas experiencing higher fire frequency than others.
Researchers at University of Wollongong have discovered physical evidence of fire use by modern humans at Liang Bua site on Flores Island, narrowing the time gap between hobbit species and modern human arrival. The findings suggest that modern humans likely arrived in Southeast Asia and Australia around 50,000 years ago.
Reduced rainfall during El Niño events leads to severe drought conditions, increasing the risk of fires during the dry season. The Amazon fire forecast uses climate and active fire detection data to predict fire severity.
The world's peat bogs, once waterlogged repositories of dead moss, are being converted into fuel-packed fire hazards that can burn for months and generate deadly smoke. Research shows that peat mining, drainage, and global warming have made a growing number of the world's bogs dry and vulnerable to fire.
A new study projects a four percent increase in acres burned by wildfire in the Southeast by 2060, with substantial uncertainties and variations by state and ecoregion. Climate change models and societal changes, including land use and population growth, are key drivers of this projected increase.
Researchers highlight the importance of fire-adaptive communities in managing wildfires, which have successfully coexisted with flames for centuries. These communities use social institutions to balance individual benefits with preservation of the common good, offering valuable lessons for designing local fire management strategies.
Researchers found that a three-year absence of fire is the tipping point for the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, and increasing burning frequency can help prevent it from transitioning to woodland. The study suggests that land managers in the Flint Hills need to increase burning to more than once every three years.
Severe air quality issues persist in Fort McMurray due to ongoing wildfires, with a Health Quality Index of 10+ reported in the region. The fire, covering over 522,892 hectares, remains out of control, prompting evacuation orders for multiple communities.
Research from the University of Colorado found an inverse relationship between fossil fuel emissions and biomass burning, with locations having high emissions being rare. The study suggests a shift towards more efficient combustion methods, potentially excluding open-fire use in landscapes.
A pioneering team of researchers has devised a 'manifesto for fire science' to examine the intricate relationship between fire and humanity on a global scale. The study reveals that factors such as invasive plants, landscape change, climate change, and population growth create tension between fire and human inhabitants.
Fires continued to burn in the Fort McMurray area, forcing a total of 15 wildfires with three out of control, spanning over 284,214 hectares. Firefighters battled the fires using 1,919 personnel, 161 helicopters, and heavy equipment.
A study by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Swedish-US partners found that demographic development has a significant impact on wildfires, with population growth reducing fire frequency. However, this does not mean the risk of fires will decrease, as growing population density in fire-susceptible regions increases the risk.
Researchers project a fourfold increase in fire probability by century's end, with tundra and forest-tundra boundary most vulnerable. Increased fires could release stored carbon into atmosphere, exacerbating global warming.
The Fort McMurray wildfire is burning out of control, covering an area of 161,000 hectares, with extreme fire conditions due to low humidity and high temperatures. Residents are advised not to return home until it is safe to do so, while firefighters, including 1,500 employees at the Syncrude facility, work to contain the blaze.
The Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta, Canada, is still burning intensely, with smoke and heat detectable by satellite. Suomi NPP's VIIRS instrument captured daytime images on May 5, showing hotspots indicating the location of fires, while nighttime images on May 6 revealed the fire at night, with smoke appearing light gray.
A study by Lund University finds that demographic changes, such as population growth and urbanization, pose a greater threat to natural fires than climate change, increasing the risk of fires in certain regions. The research suggests that areas with no human population are more prone to uncontrolled fires due to lack of urban planning.
A new study examines human behavior's impact on wildfires in California, finding that it explains as much about their frequency and location as climate change. The researchers recommend considering both climate change and human variables for future models to accurately predict wildfire risks.
A University of Vermont-led study finds that insect outbreaks, such as mountain pine beetle and western spruce budworm infestations, significantly reduce wildfire severity. This contrasts with popular attitudes linking the two, and provides new insights for forest management and policy applications.
A seismic network in Nevada is being used to monitor wildfires and provide early intelligence on more than 25 fires during the last fire season. The technology has the potential to remake firefighting by allowing for tactical suppression and scaling resources appropriately, saving time and money.
Research by University of Arizona geoscientists finds post-wildfire erosion dominates landscape transformation in the US Intermountain West. Erosion rates increased 1,000 to 10,000 times in burned watersheds compared to unburned areas after severe wildfires.
A randomized controlled trial enrolls 350 firefighters from Tampa Bay's three largest fire departments to assess the effectiveness of a worksite exercise regimen. The study aims to reduce low back injury and disability, improving health and preparedness for firefighters.
Human ancestors adapted to fire-prone environments by exploiting its foraging benefits, improving search and handling efficiency. This scenario provides a solution to the mismatch between fossil and archaeological records.
Researchers created a European-scale map of wildland-urban areas to predict fire risk, finding that regions with high WUI areas are more prone to catastrophic large wildfires. The study highlights the need for local authorities to prioritize fire risk control and develop better forest fire management strategies in high-risk areas.
A CU study found that large fires in the West followed by drought conditions are affecting high-elevation forests, leading to lower tree densities and increased patchiness. The research team measured tree species, numbers, sizes, and ages of post-fire seedlings in nearly 200 forest plots.
A new study published in Global Ecology and Biogeography finds that drought following wildfires hinders forest recovery in the Rocky Mountains. The research shows that forests are not adapting quickly enough to climate change, with subalpine tree species being negatively impacted by warm, dry conditions.
Researchers found that neurons fire in brief, coordinated bursts as information is held in working memory, allowing for multiple items to be stored separately. This discovery fits a new model of rapid synaptic strength changes and gamma frequency oscillations.