Forest fires pose significant environmental and socioeconomic threats, particularly in regions such as Central India, where forest ecosystems are vital for biodiversity and local livelihoods. Understanding forest fire dynamics and identifying fire risk zones are crucial for effective mitigation. The current study explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest fires in the Khandwa and North Betul forest divisions in the Central Indian region over 22 years using Mann-Kendall and Sen\'s slope tests on MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) fire point data. We found a nonsignificant increase in forest fires in both divisions. Khandwa showed a nonsignificant slope rise of more than three events per year, while North Betul revealed an increase of around one event per year. The lack of statistical significance suggests that upward trends of forest fire events may result from random fluctuations rather than consistent patterns. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed significant clustering of fire incidents in both regions. Khandwa confirmed moderate clustering (Moran\'s I = 0.043), whereas North Betul showed robust clustering (Moran\'s I = 0.096). Kernel density estimation further identified high-risk clusters in both divisions, necessitating zonal-wise targeted fire management strategies. Fire risk zonation was developed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), combining 10 environmental and socioeconomic factors. The AHP model, validated using MODIS fire data, showed reliable accuracy. The results revealed many of both divisions in the high- to very high-risk categories. Approximately, 45% of the area of the Khandwa and nearly 50% of the area of North Betul fall under high to very high fire risk zones. Khandwa\'s high-risk areas mainly lie in the northern and southeastern parts, while North Betul lies in the northwestern and north-eastern regions. The identified fire-prone areas indicate the pressing need for local or region-specific fire prevention and mitigation strategies. Thus, the findings of this study provide valuable insights into forest fire risk management and contribute to more focused research and methodological developments.

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Increased frequency, intensity, and duration of wildfires are intensifying exposure to direct and smoke-related hazards in many areas, leading to evacuation and smoke-related effects on health and health systems that can affect regions extending over thousands of kilometres. Effective preparation and response are currently hampered by inadequate training, continued siloing of disciplines, insufficient finance, and inadequate coordination between health systems and governance at municipal, regional, national, and international levels. This Review highlights the key health and health systems considerations before, during, and after wildfires, and outlines how a health system should respond to optimise population health outcomes now and into the future. The focus is on the implications of wildfires for air quality, mental health, and emergency management, with elements of international policy and finance also addressed. We discuss commonalities of existing climate-resilient health care and disaster management frameworks and integrate them into an approach that addresses issues of financing, leadership and governance, health workforce, health information systems, infrastructure, supply chain, technologies, community interaction and health-care delivery, before, during, and after a wildfire season. This Review is a practical briefing for leaders and health professionals facing severe wildfire seasons and a call to break down silos and join with other disciplines to proactively plan for and fund innovation and coordination in service of a healthier future.

Climate change presents multiple challenges to rural communities. Here, we investigated the toxicological potential of the six types of particulate matter most common to rural Arkansas: soil, road, and agricultural dusts, pollen, traffic exhaust, and particles from biomass burning in human small airway epithelial cells (SAECs). Biomass burning and agricultural dust demonstrated the most potent toxicological responses, exhibited as significant (p < 0.05) up-regulation of HMOX1 (oxidative stress) and TNFα (inflammatory response) genes as well as epigenetic alterations (altered expression of DNA methyltransferases DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B, enzymatic activity, and DNA methylation of alpha satellite elements) that were evident at both 24 h and 72 h of exposure. We further demonstrate evidence of aridification in the state of Arkansas and the presence of winds capable of transporting agricultural dust- and biomass burning-associated particles far beyond their origination. Partnerships in the form of citizen science projects may provide important solutions to prevent and mitigate the negative effects of the rapidly evolving climate and improve the well-being of rural communities. Furthermore, the identification of the most toxic types of particulate matter could inform local policies related to agriculture, biomass burning, and dust control.

Thinning woody biomass to reduce wildfire risk has become a common forest management prescription throughout the Intermountain West. Converting the resulting slash into biochar, a carbon-rich soil amendment, could help mitigate some of the shortcomings of other fuel treatments, but land managers in the western United States have not widely adopted biochar, despite its potential benefits and new government incentives. Thus, we investigated the often under-studied sociocultural, economic, and biophysical barriers to biochar production and identified important factors to inform future outreach efforts that will help to expand biochar production from thinning slash in northern New Mexico. We distributed surveys and conducted interviews with land managers and personnel working in environment conservation organizations who work with land managers throughout northern New Mexico. We found that 65% of participants (n = 60) were familiar with biochar, and 13% already produced biochar. Participants identified improving soil and reducing forest fuel loads as the main benefits of biochar. The most prevalent barriers to adopting biochar were insufficient knowledge about biochar production and its application and concerns about production costs. Given land manager preferences, outreach efforts to encourage biochar adoption should focus on hands-on informational activities. Barriers and preferred outreach methods varied by participant race and familiarity with biochar. With appropriate training to empower land managers, biochar can provide environmental and community benefits by the sustainable conversion of forest residues into a soil enhancement product that would be beneficial to northern New Mexico\'s dry, high wildfire risk context.

Wildfire intensity and severity have been increasing in the Iberian Peninsula in recent years, particularly in the Galicia region, due to rising temperatures and accumulating drier combustible vegetation in unmanaged lands. This leads to substantial emissions of air pollutants, notably fine particles (PM2.5), posing a risk to public health. This study aims to assess the impact of local and regional wildfires on PM2.5 levels in Galicia\'s main cities and their implications for air quality and public health. Over a decade (2013-2022), PM2.5 data during wildfire seasons were analyzed using statistical methods and Lagrangian tracking to monitor smoke plume evolution. The results reveal a notable increase in PM2.5 concentration during the wildfire season (June-November) in Galicia, surpassing health guidelines during extreme events and posing a significant health risk to the population. Regional wildfire analyses indicate that smoke plumes from Northern Portugal contribute to pollution in Galician cities, influencing the seasonality of heightened PM2.5 levels. During extensive wildfires, elevated PM2.5 concentration values persisted for several days, potentially exacerbating health concerns in Galicia. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing air pollution prevention and management measures in the region, including developing effective alerts for large-scale events and improved wildfire management strategies to mitigate their impact on air quality in Galician cities.

The scale of wildfire impacts to the built environment is growing and will likely continue under rising average global temperatures. We investigate whether and at what destruction threshold wildfires have influenced human mobility patterns by examining the migration effects of the most destructive wildfires in the contiguous U.S. between 1999 and 2020. We find that only the most extreme wildfires (258+ structures destroyed) influenced migration patterns. In contrast, the majority of wildfires examined were less destructive and did not cause significant changes to out- or in-migration. These findings suggest that, for the past two decades, the influence of wildfire on population mobility was rare and operated primarily through destruction of the built environment.

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The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires are among the most visible impacts of climate change. However, the effects of wildfires on mercury (Hg) transformations and bioaccumulation in stream ecosystems are poorly understood. We sampled soils, water, sediment, in-stream leaf litter, periphyton, and aquatic invertebrates in 36 burned (one-year post fire) and 21 reference headwater streams across the northwestern U.S. to evaluate the effects of wildfire occurrence and severity on total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) transport and bioaccumulation. Suspended particulate THg and MeHg concentrations were 89 and 178% greater in burned watersheds compared to unburned watersheds and increased with burn severity, likely associated with increased soil erosion. Concentrations of filter-passing THg were similar in burned and unburned watersheds, but filter-passing MeHg was 51% greater in burned watersheds, and suspended particles in burned watersheds were enriched in MeHg but not THg, suggesting higher MeHg production in burned watersheds. Among invertebrates, MeHg in grazers, filter-feeders, and collectors was 33, 48, and 251% greater in burned watersheds, respectively, but did not differ in shredders or predators. Thus, increasing wildfire frequency and severity may yield increased MeHg production, mobilization, and bioaccumulation in headwaters and increased transport of particulate THg and MeHg to downstream environments.