Background Articles

A Fort Smith, N.W.T., man is recounting his terrifying effort to flee a wildfire with his wife a couple of weeks ago — and crediting a Hay River man for steering them out of danger.  

Survivors of the Maui fire in Lahaina say they were overwhelmed by the speed of the blaze, the smothering smoke and the lack of escape routes.

Monkshood, a common yet highly poisonous plant in Alaska, has seen an unusual bloom this year, raising concerns about its safety among hikers and gardeners. Experts affirm that while the plant is toxic, casual contact is unlikely to cause harm.

There are now 140 active Interior wildfires, with Southeast Alaska seeing "abnormally dry" conditions.

“We started seeing structural timber,” one resident said. “And then I was like, ‘Oh, my God. That’s from houses upstream.'”

Extreme weather events like Typhoon Merbok are becoming more common, and many Alaska communities are wondering about the future.

Scientists from Moscow State University have studied the Lorino cliff in the Chukotka region and discovered that the rapid retreat of the coast is due to the reduction of sea ice, and they recommend that villagers prepare for the transfer of coastal structures further inland.

Some residents in Fort Smith, N.W.T., say they're seeing more bears in and around town this year, and it's not clear why.

The temperature of asphalt and pavement and concrete and sidewalks in Arizona on a warm sunny day or summer afternoon is 180 degrees sometimes.

Clean, fresh air can be part of the draw for tourists to Canada's North — but they won't find it this week in Yellowknife due to wildfire smoke.

Extreme heat around the nation is affecting some flights departing from airports including Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Phoenix, which have had triple-digit temperatures this week.

A Kodiak woman died in a hit-and-run collision during Saturday’s tsunami warning and evacuation,

The damage wrought to the park’s road by melting permafrost is creating a new reality affecting visitors, park staff, local businesses and potentially wildlife.

No one knows how many birds are infected with avian influenza along the coast of Finnmark. In Vadsø, seagulls sit next to dozens of dead birds.

Shishaldin is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutians — it’s had nearly 30 eruptions since 1824.

Adventures go wrong whether through failures of gear or navigation, not to mention the unpredictable weather and large, wild animals. Adventurers can make thinking errors that, in some cases, make an uncomfortable situation much worse.

This rural part of the island of Oahu is not connected to city sewers — and waste from toilets, sinks and showers is mostly collected in hundreds of pits called cesspools. Rising seas are also pushing groundwater closer to the surface, allowing cesspool effluent to mix with the water table and flow into the ocean.

Scientists say they found the virus in one of five submitted chicken meat samples that the cats ate.

E-bikes offer riders added range, mobility and approachability. But they also potentially bring an added element of increased speed to mixed-use trails that are already buzzing with activity.

With recent events between Musk ox, humans, and dogs, Nome looks for solutions to mitigate the problem. As they graze on patches of grass, often within city limits, the potential for dog conflict and even human interactions are becoming common.