• Unusual wildfire burning in western Greenland

    Satellites have detected a sizable wildfire burning in western Greenland, about 150 km (90 miles) northeast of Sismut, the second largest town in Greenland (population 5 500). Satellites first detected evidence of the fire on July 31, 2017 and kept collecting the…

  • New wildfire forces 10 000 people to evacuate, southern France

    A new wildfire broke out in southern France overnight Wednesday, July 26, 2017, forcing at least 10 000 people to evacuate. The latest fire comes a day after France asked for help from the rest of Europe to tackle the flames already raging in the tinder-dry south,…

  • Mount Vesuvius on fire, tourists and residents evacuated, Italy

    Hundreds of tourists and residents living near Italy's Mount Vesuvius have been evacuated for the second time in a week as firefighters battle numerous separate blazes on the slopes of the volcano. The fires are believed to have been started by arsonists and are…

  • Steep drop in natural and human-caused fires worldwide

    Researchers using NASA satellites to detect fires and burn scars from space have found that an ongoing transition from nomadic cultures to settled lifestyles and intensifying agriculture has led to a steep drop in the use of fire for land clearing and an overall…

  • Massive wildfire raging in Utah, 1 500 people evacuated

    A massive wildfire is raging in southern Utah, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for at least 1 500 people. Since it started on June 17, the fire has rapidly spread to more than 17 000 hectares (42 000 acres), destroying on its way more than a dozen…

  • Portugal wildfire kills more than 62, most of them in cars

    A catastrophic wildfire believed to be caused by a dry thunderstorm has killed more than 62 people near Pedrógão Grande, central Portugal early Sunday, June 18, 2017. Most of them died in cars while trying to escape, officials said. Local media said…