Fire

A first-of-its-kind study has investigated the link between certain cancers and people living in close proximity to wildfires. The findings revealed higher rates of brain tumors and lung cancer in populations living within 50 km (31 miles) of a wildfire.

The ozone layer is often seen as a success story for human action to correct a climate emergency – but unfortunately we may be undoing our own hard work. A new study suggests smoke from wildfires can deplete the ozone layer, delaying its recovery.

Japanese outfit Monocent has taken to Kickstarter with a versatile new cooking system that can be swiftly put together and switch between a fire-pit, wood stove and grill, and packs down into a highly portable form.

A wood fire is a cosy way to warm up, but sadly they have adverse effects on human health and the environment. But a new soot collector device could help reduce particulate emissions by attracting particles with an electric field.

Given how hot and dry much of North America has been this year, traditional campfires are currently banned in many regions. The FireCan offers an alternative, as it's a portable propane-powered fire pit that sits above the ground.

Solo Stoves has introduced a new cast-iron grilling system designed to fit snugly over its existing fire pits and turn them into camp-style cooking stations, while using a clever air flow system to keep smoke to a minimum.

Most of us can't afford homes with fire-extinguishing sprinklers built into the ceiling … and that's where FACE is designed to come in. It's a self-contained, heat-activated fire suppression device that's mounted in the user's home, wherever needed.

Flashover is a very dangerous phenomenon, in which all of the exposed combustible materials in an enclosed area near-simultaneously ignite. Thanks to a new AI-based system, however, firefighters may soon receive warnings when flashover is imminent.

Open-fire cooking you can carry anywhere, the new Alpha Bonfire collapses flat into a smartphone-sized package small enough for a pocket. It carries easily by foot or light vehicle, building into a mini fire pit and grill complete with utensils.

Researchers in the UK have come up with a new formula for tackling smoldering "zombie fires", which can burn through carbon-rich organic matter underground and trigger flaming wildfires again once the danger appears to have passed.

There's far more than one way to spark a fire, and it seems there's always another around the corner. The new Firetent is the latest to float across our desk, a small pack of cardboard and wood that builds into a mini-teepee fire like a 3D puzzle.

Lightning is a major trigger for wildfires, like the record-breaking blazes that devastated Australia and California this year. But what if we could redirect lightning to strike safely? Graphene particles trapped in a tractor beam could do just that.