Early Rains Tame California’s Peak Wildfire Season

Recent rain significantly reduced the risk of a large fire breaking out before year’s end, experts said.

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The Destructive Legacy of California’s Zombie Fires

Blazes that firefighters thought had died but then later came roaring back to life have become increasingly common, heightening scrutiny of how first-responders put out wildfires.

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A Crushing Year for Science in America

The Trump administration has sharply cut funding for scientific research and eliminated thousands of jobs. We spoke to scientists about the work that was lost.

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She Studied How Foresting Affects Pollinators

Kim Ballare was a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service until her federal grant “got snatched away.”

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Has Your Scientific Work Been Cut? We Want to Hear.

For a new series, Times journalists are speaking with scientists whose research has ended as a result of policy changes by the Trump administration.

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U.S. Wildfire Fighters to Mask Up After Decades-Long Ban on Smoke Protections

The Forest Service is changing course as it faces growing pressure over firefighters who are falling ill with cancer and other smoke-related illnesses.

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Firefighters Race to Save a Treasured Sequoia Grove in California

Giant sequoias can live for thousands of years, but wildfires have killed staggering numbers of the trees in recent years.

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On the Front Lines of Climate Change, Firefighters Are Getting Very Sick

Across the country, unmasked wildfire fighters are falling ill and dying. Hannah Dreier talks about her investigation into the risks these workers face.

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Wildfire Fighters, Unmasked in Toxic Smoke, Are Getting Sick and Dying

The U.S. Forest Service has fought decades of efforts to better protect its crews — sending them into smoke without masks or warnings about the risks.

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How One Company Maintained a Monopoly on U.S. Fire Retardant

Perimeter Solutions sought to undercut rivals, leaving federal officials worried about their reliance on a single company for a crucial product.

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