Plumes of smoke drifted up from a fire steadily taking over a 30-acre prairie at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, north of the Twin Cities. Amid the haze, five black drones zipped around. More ...

U of M researchers launch smoke-sensing drones that one day could fight wildfires Through analyzing smoke patterns, the team hopes the swarm of drones will be able to predict fire behavior.

Campers often expect campfire smoke to rise straight up or drift gently with the wind, but mountain valleys behave very differently. Their narrow walls, shifting temperatures, and irregular terrain ...

Curling up by a crackling fireplace is a hallmark of a cozy winter evening. Unfortunately, however, telling research now suggests all that warmth and comfort is linked to an estimated 8,600 premature ...

Cameras that analyze smoke patterns to gauge a fire’s severity. Satellites that can detect a wildfire anywhere in the world, within minutes of a flare-up. There’s an ever-growing repertoire of tools ...

Scientists are still studying the long-term health effects of smoke exposure. By Dani Blum Extreme wildfires are becoming more common, more intense and more of a pressing problem for public health.