As the wildfire season is beginning, some wild land firefighters are worried their safety could be at risk since the government has been slow to adopt new COVID-19 protocols.
This year, the European Union has had almost triple the average number of wildfires. NPR follows a special unit into the woods in Spain to see how they let them burn for prevention.
Close to 1,500 inmates have been sent to battle the wildfires in Northern California. They are paid less than minimum wage, and some critics have decried the state program slave labor.
The University of Nebraska is developing a fire-starting drone, adapting a flaming ping pong ball technique already used in wildfire management. They hope to help teams conduct safer prescribed burns.
The California fire is unusually intense and unpredictable. But between climate change and the impact of decades of poor management, such wildfires may be the new normal.
