TOPSHOT - A firefighter douses flames as they push towards homes during the Creek fire in the Cascadel Woods area of unincorporated Madera County, California on September 7, 2020. - A firework at a gender reveal party triggered a wildfire in southern California that has destroyed 7,000 acres (2,800 hectares) and forced many residents to flee their homes, the fire department said Sunday. More than 500 firefighters and four helicopters were battling the El Dorado blaze east of San Bernardino, which started Saturday morning, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
This months-long investigation considers how wildfire smoke is affecting many aspects of American life, including health, economics, workplace safety, and governance. But despite the fact that summers are getting hotter, drier, and more prone to fire, little is being done to protect citizens, especially the most vulnerable. This multi-part series ran at the height of the 2020 wildfire season, one of the worst on record, and won several awards in the 2020 Society of Professional Journalists Region 10 Excellence in Journalism Contest
Mara Kardas-Nelson. Journalist. 