Wildfires, Climate Change and Health Impacts | Media Coverage

As the Western U.S. faces another severe wildfre season, multiple outlets have quoted, interviewed and published comments from Stanford wildfire experts on topics from climate change, wildfire preparedness and human health impacts.

To learn more about Stanford's environmental research on wildfires, visit https://wildfire.stanford.edu.

November 26, 2020 | Wildfire Smoke Is Poisoning California’s Kids. Some Pay a Higher Price. | The New York Times | Kari Nadeau and Marshall Burke are quoted.

November 19, 2020 | Historic Wildfire Season Dents Decline in US Emissions During Coronavirus Pandemic | The Hill | Rob Jackson is quoted.

November 11, 2020 | The Surprising Connection Between West Coast Fires and the Volatile Chemicals Tainting America’s Drinking Water | ensia | Richard Luthy is quoted.

November 10, 2020 | State’s Wildfire Costs Need Better Tracking | Daily Democrat | Michael Wara is quoted.

October 30, 2020 | Researchers Say More Data Needed to Determine Cost-Effective Wildfire Solutions | Claims Journal | Michael Wara is quoted.

October 29, 2020 | California Has Issues With Wildfire Data, And Experts Say It's Complicating The Fire Fight | CapRadio | Michael Wara is interviewed.

October 29, 2020 | What Is the True Cost of California Wildfires? No One Really Knows | KQED | Michael Wara is interviewed.

October 27, 2020 | Experts to Western States: Time to Finally Fight Wildfires with More Fire | KPCW Radio | Michael Wara is interviewed.

October 26, 2020 | Particulates Matter: 10 Questions for a Stanford Researcher on the Health Hazards of Wildfire Smoke | The Six Fifty | Mary Prunicki is interviewed.

October 16, 2020 | Record Heat, Strong Winds Renew Fire Danger in California With ‘No Rain in Sight’ | The Washington Post | Michael Wara is quoted.

October 15, 2020 | Silicon Valley is Fighting Fire with Tech | Fortune's Brainstorm Podcast | Eric Appel is interviewed.

October 9, 2020 | Damage From California’s Wildfires Estimated at $10 Billion, Experts Say | ABC 7 News | Michael Wara is quoted. | Also picked up by Newsweek.

October 9, 2020 | Why Is the West Burning and What Can We Do to Slow It Down? Indigenous Tribes Might Have the Answer | Deseret News | Chris Field is quoted.

October 8, 2020 | Calif. Blackouts Show Grid’s Scary, Hot Future | E&E News | Michael Wara is quoted.

October 8, 2020 | Can It Be Stopped? California Gigafire May Be Just the Beginning | Tech the Lead | Research by Eric Appel is mentioned.

October 5, 2020 | Unsafe to Drink: Wildfires Threaten Rural Towns With Tainted Water | CalMatters |Newsha Ajami is quoted.

October 1, 2020 | A Tiny Pest Helped Stoke This Year’s Devastating Wildfires | National Geographic | Chris Field is quoted.

September 30, 2020 | Death From Recent Wildfire Smoke Could Top 3K, Stanford Researchers Say | Palo Alto Online | Research by Marshall Burke and Sam Heft-Neal, and Mary Prunicki  is featured.

September 28, 2020 | Why Are California Heat Waves, Wildfires Intensifying? Stanford Climate Scientist Explains | ABC 7 News | Research by Noah Diffenbaugh is featured and he is quoted.

September 28, 2020 | Doc's Precription: California Takes Dramatic Steps to Combat Climate Warming | Herald-Tribune |Michael Wara is quoted.

September 28, 2020 | Tips for Identifying Best Home Air Purifiers as Bay Area Wildfires Worsen Air Quality | ABC 7 News| Mary Prunicki is quoted.

In a back-of-the-envelope calculation, Marshall Burke and Sam Heft-Neal have estimated that between 1,200 and 3,000 people may have died prematurely due to exposure to wildfire smoke in California. Multiple media outlets have covered this calculation of indirect deaths among those over 65 and with pre-exisiting conditions.

November 21, 2020 | Thousands Have Died Prematurely in US Due to Wildfire Pollution, Say Scientists | Sky News

October 19, 2020 | Austin’s COVID-19 and Wildfire Risk Produce a Potentially Dangerous Combination | kxan/NBC 

October 14, 2020 | This Is the Worst Fire Season the American West Has Ever Seen | The Economist

October 5, 2020 | Deaths From Recent Wildfire Smoke Could Top 3K, Stanford Researchers Say | Mountain View Voice

October 1, 2020 | California’s Nightmare Fire Season Continues | NASA

September 29, 2020 | CA Wildfire Smoke Could Cause Premature Deaths, New Research Says | Latin Post 

September 28, 2020 | Bay Briefing: Wildfires Burn Through Wine Country Again | San Francisco Chronicle 

September 27, 2020 | California Wildfire Smoke May Cause 3,000 Premature Deaths, According to New Research | Daily Mail

September 25, 2020 | Smoke From California's Wildfires May Have Killed Up to 3,000 People, Study Says | The Hill

September 24, 2020 | The West Coast Had the World's Most Polluted Cities in September | National Geographic 

September 24 2020 | 'Hidden Cost' of Wildfire Smoke: Stanford Researchers Estimate Up to 3,000 Indirect Deaths | San Francisco Chronicle

September 24, 2020 | Indirect Exposure to Recent CA Wildfire Smoke May Have Resulted in Thousands of Additional Deaths, Stanford Researchers Say | ABC 7

September 24, 2020 | Researchers Estimate Wildfire Smoke Contributed 1,000+ California Deaths | KION 

September 23, 2020 | Smoke From California Fires May Have Killed More Than 1,000 People | The Mercury News 

September 23, 2020 | 'These are Hidden Deaths.' Over 1,000 Likely Died Early Due to California's Wildfire Smoke | The Sacramento Bee 

September 23, 2020 | The Deadly Impacts of California Wildfire Smoke | NBC Bay Area 

September 23, 2020 | Stanford Report: Smoke From Wildfires Killed 1,200 People, Likely Many More | GV Wire

September 23, 2020 | Smoke From California Wildfires Responsible for Over 1,200 Deaths | Newsmax

September 23, 2020 | Smoke from California's Wildfire Likely Killed at Least 1,000 People | Daily Beast

September 23, 2020 | Wildfire Ignition is Solvable | Sovable Podcast | Eric Appel is interviewed.

September 23, 2020 | Experts Say Perscribed Fires Would Reduce Risk of Serious Wildfires | Newsy | Research by Rebecca Miller is featured and she is interviewed.

September 23, 2020 | Coronavirus in Context: How Are Wildfires Impacting the Pandemic | WebMD | Mary Prunicki is interviewed.

September 22, 2020 | Smoke from California's Record Wildfires Is Its Own Disaster | KQED | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 22, 2020 | Researchers Warn of 'Triple Threat' in the Fall | Los Altos Town Crier | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 21, 2020 | Zoning Policies Have Put Millions at Risk of Losing Everything to Wildfires | Mic | Rebecca Miller is quoted.

September 21, 2020 | California Burnin' — a Warning Against One-Party Rule | The Washington Post | Research by Chris Field and Rebecca Miller is cited.

September 20, 2020 | Wildfires, Drought, Pandemics. Is this Our Future? How to Build a Safer World | TIME | Research by Noah Diffenbaugh is highlighted.

September 19, 2020 | How Bad Is All That Wildfire Smoke to Our Long-Term Health? 'Frankly, We Don't Really Know' | Los Angeles Times | Research by Marshall Burke is cited.

September 19, 2020 | Fire Season: Will It Get Worse? | ABC 7 News | Noah Diffenbaugh is interviewed.

September 18, 2020 | The Potential Long-Term Health Effects Smoke and How to Stay Protected | NBC Bay Area News | A Woods webinar is featured.

September 18, 2020 | How to Protect Children from Wildfire Smoke | The New York Times | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 18, 2020 | Doctors Alarmed by Surge in Hospital Visits as Toxic Smoke Engulfs West Coast | The Guardian | Mary Prunicki and Bibek Paudel are quoted.

September 18, 2020 | Experts Warn Wildfire Smoke Could Worsen COVID-19 | The Hill | Mary Prunicki is quoted and research by Bibek Paudel is cited.

September 18, 2020 | Wildfire Smoke a Growing Health Problem | Voice of America | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 18, 2020 | Climate Change is Key Factor Behind California Wildfires | AFP Factcheck |  Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 18, 2020 | Seven Cigarettes a Day: Panel Reveals Health Toll of Wildfire Smoke | Courthouse News Service | A Woods webinar is featured.

September 18, 2020 | Wildfire Smoke: A Growing Problem Worldwide | NewsGram | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 17, 2020 | The Science Connecing Wildfires to Climate Change | National Geographic | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 17, 2020 | How All the Smoke in the Air Affects Human Health | KCRW Radio | Mary Prunicki is interviewed.

September 17, 2020 | Supressing Fires Has Failed. Here's What California Needs to do Instead. | MIT Technology Review | Michael Wara is quoted.

September 17, 2020 | How Wildfire Smoke Affects the Body and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself | Healthline |  Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 17, 2020 | California Wildfires May Give Way to Massive Mudslides | Popular Science | Newsha Ajami is quoted.

September 16, 2020 | Concrete Steps California Can Take to Prevent Massive Fire Devastation | Los Angeles Times | Op-ed by Michael Wara.

September 16, 2020 | A Man-Made Catastrophe? The Science Behind the Wildfires Ravaging the US | France 24 | Chris Field is interviewed.

September 16, 2020 | How to Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke | The Wall Street Journal | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 16, 2020 | Fighting Fire with Fire | Axios | Research by Rebecca Miller and Chris Field is featured.

September 16, 2020 | As Wildfires Rage, California Presses Insurers to Cut Rates | The New York Times | Michael Wara is quoted.

September 16, 2020 | In Los Angeles, the Smoke Just Hangs All Day, Every Day. Residents Say It's Taking a Toll | Erie News Now | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 15, 2020 | San Francisco Gets a Reprieve From Smoky Air | The Wall Street Journal | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 15, 2020 | Climate Change Created Conditions for the West Coast Fires, Experts Say | Politifact | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted and his research is cited.

September 15, 2020 | It Doesn't Really Matter How the Fires Started, Climate Change Made Them Worse | Mic | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted .

September 15, 2020 | Climate Change Making Wildfires Bigger, Stronger, and More Prevelant | Fox 4 | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 15, 2020 | President Trump Blames Wildfires on Poor Forest Management | KSRO | Research by Noah Diffenbaugh is cited.

September 14, 2020 | Trump Spurns Science on Climate: 'Don't Think Science Knows' | Associated Press | Chris Field is quoted | Story was also published in other outlets including The Washington Post.

September 14, 2020 | Climate Scientists Reject Trump’s Prediction “It’ll Start Getting Cooler” In California | CapRadio | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 14, 2020 | When Will the Air Quality Get Better? | The New York Times | Mary Prunicki is quoted.

September 14, 2020 | What is Causing the Raging Wildfires in Oregon, California and Washington | Open Access Government |  Chris Field is quoted.

September 14, 2020 | California’s Wildfires Are Producing More CO2 Than Its Power Plants | Quartz | Rob Jackson is quoted.

September 12, 2020 | What's Behind the 'Unprecedented' Wildfires Ravaging California | CBC News | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 11, 2020 | After the Blazes: Poisoned Water and a 'Flood On Steroids' | E&E News | Newsha Ajami is quoted.

September 11, 2020 | Most Wildfire Coverage on American TV News Fails to Mention Link to Climate Crisis | The Guardian | Chris Field is quoted and research by Noah Diffenbaugh and others is cited.

September 11, 2020 | How California's Raging Wildfires Became So Severe in 2020 | CNBC | Noah Diffenbaugh is interviewed.

September 11, 2020 | Is Climate Change Worsening California's Wildfires? Scientists Say 'Yes' | Radio.com | Noah Diffenbaugh is interviewed.

September 11, 2020 | Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh on How Climate Change is Making Wildfires Worse | KSRO | Noah Diffenbaugh is interviewed.

September 11, 2020 | 20 La Niña May Increase Atlantic Storms and Drought | Explica | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 10, 2020 | Q&A: A La Niña Has Formed. It May Fuel Drought Conditions in the Southwestern US | Associated Press | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 10, 2020 | The Orange Sky Was Bay Area's Latest Extreme Climate Event. It Won't Be the Last | The San Francisco Chronicle | Chris Field is quoted.

September 10, 2020 | Winds Fuel Wildfires Across US West, Destroying Record 2.5m Acres | The Guardian | Chris Field is quoted.

September 10, 2020 | Fire Experts: Western Fires are Unreal | Mashable | Michael Wara is quoted. 

September 9, 2020 | The State of California: Is There a Link Between Wildfires and Climate Change? |  KCBS Radio | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 8, 2020 | With Fires and Record Heat Over Labor Day Weekend, How Should California Address the New Normal? | KCRW | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 8, 2020 | Much of the American West Is on Fire, Illustrating the Dangers of a Climate of Extremes | The Washington Post | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

September 8, 2020 | Blackouts Tied to Wildfires Are Spreading Beyond California | Bloomberg Green | Michael Wara is quoted.

September 4, 2020 | What is California's Wildfire Smoke Doing to Our Health? Scientists Paint a Bleak Picture | The Guardian | Research by Bibek Paudel is cited and Mary Prunicki is quoted.

August 28, 2020 | California Wildfires Renew Housing Policy Regulations, Debates | The Mercury News | Michael Wara is quoted.

August 28, 2020 | Clouds of Smoke are Blowing Misery Across the West | The New York Times | Chris Field is quoted.

August 27, 2020 | Fires, Hurricanes and Extreme Temperatures —Are They a Coincidence? | KCBS | Michael Wara is interviewed.

August 27, 2020 | ‘Gutting Experience’: California Fire Evacuees Begin to Return Home to Assess the Damage | The Guardian | Chris Field is quoted.

August 27, 2020 | West Coast Wildfires, Gulf Coast Hurricanes: How Climate Change Connects These Extreme Events | The San Francisco Chronicle | Chris Field and Noah Diffenbaugh are quoted.

August 27, 2020 | Hurricane Laura and the California Fires Are Part of the Same Crisis | Bloomberg | Michael Wara is quoted.

August 26, 2020 | Controlled Burns Could Lessen Wildfires, Says Stanford Study | KCRW | Rebecca Miller is interviewed.

August 21, 2020 | California’s Wildfires Explained: How Did They Start – And Is This Normal? | The Guardian | Chris Field is quoted.

August 21, 2020 | California’s Devastating Summer Blazes Are a Bad Omen for Fall Wildfire Season | The Mercury News | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

August 20, 2020 | California Wildfires: Thousands Evacuate as ‘Siege’ of Flames Overwhelms State | The Guardian | Chris Field is quoted.

August 20, 2020 | Wildfires Raging in California Escalate Crises for State | Bloomberg Quint | Michael Wara is quoted.

August 19, 2020 | Climate Change May Lead To More Record Heat And Fires In California, Experts Warn | NPR / Iowa Public Radio | Noah Diffenbaugh is quoted.

August 15, 2020 | First Fires, Now Heat: Millions of Californians Back in the Dark | Bloomberg Green | Michael Wara is quoted.

August 1, 2020 | Amid Pine Mountain’s Ancient Trees, a Forest ‘Thinning’ Project Triggers Protests | Los Angeles Times | Chris Field is quoted.

July 14, 2020 | Coronavirus Complicates Efforts to Fight California Wildfires | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Highlights from the Wildfire Preparedness Webinar.

July 14, 2020 | California Homeowners Are Doomed to Repeat Their Past Mistakes | Bloomberg Green | Michael Wara is quoted.

July 13, 2020 | Blackouts Have Triggered an Energy Storage Boom in California | E&E News / Scientific American | Michael Wara is quoted.

July 9, 2020 | Conversations on Climate Challenges: Wildfire Policy and Public Health | Resources Magazine | A conversation with Kari Nadeau.

Also see the following news stories and their related media coverage:

Longer, More Extreme Wildfire Seasons | Media Coverage 
Setting Fires to Avoid Fires | Media Coverage