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What is the Changing Risk and Burden of Wildfire in the United States?

February 01, 2021

A new study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) is predicting a grim future for wildfires and the resulting toxic smoke.

Over the past four decades, burned area from wildfires has roughly quadrupled in the United States. This rapid growth has been driven by a number of factors, including the accumulation of fuels due to a legacy of fire suppression over the last century and a more recent increase in fuel aridity shown for the western United States), a trend which is expected to continue as the climate warms.

These increases have happened parallel to a substantial rise in the number of houses in the wildland–urban interface (WUI). Using data on the universe of home locations across the United States and updated national land cover maps, we update earlier studies and estimate that there are now ∼49 million residential homes in the WUI, a number that has been increasing by roughly 350,000 houses per year over the last two decades. Read More...

How Does Wildfire Smoke Impact a Dog's Health?

September 23, 2020

Wildfires in the western United States this year have already proved to be massive and stunning. Wildfires burning across California, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington are producing soot, ash, and smoke filling the air amid searing heat. Thick clouds of ash particles are wafting over cities and rural areas turning the Bay Areas’ sky orange? The tiny particles that comprise smoke are scattering the longer light wavelengths of reds and oranges to overwhelm the shorter wavelengths of blue, dimming the...

First Dog in Texas Tests Positive for Coronavirus

July 10, 2020

First dog in Texas tests positive with the coronavirus infection. A dog in Tarrant County is the first animal in Texas to test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s veterinary lab received the test Monday, and the dog was confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 the next day, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission.

A private veterinarian chose to test the dog after its owners were confirmed to...

Affects of Wildfire Smoke on Dogs and Animals

How Wildfire Smoke Affects Dogs and Other Animals

June 15, 2020

Over one billion animals are estimated to have died in the Australian bushfires so far. This loss of life is devastating. Horses, dogs and other domestic animals are also being affected by the smoke generated by the wildfires.

Catastrophic fires across the globe are increasing in both frequency and magnitude. The bushfires in Australia, fueled by heatwaves and drought, have burned more than 10.7 million hectares, an area larger than Iceland. As veterinarians who have cared for...

American Medical Veterinary Association (AMVA) - Wildfire Smoke and Animals

June 14, 2020

Thanks to the American Medical Veterinary Association (AMVA) for the guidance on how to protect animals from smoke caused by wildfires.

As irritating as smoke can be to people, it can cause health problems for animals as well. Smoke from wildfires and other large blazes affects pets, horses, livestock and wildlife. If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals – both pets and livestock...