Name: Inside the Megafire
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Nova

Northern California’s Carr Fire spawned a deadly fire tornado with incredibly powerful winds. But what caused its flames to start spinning?

As Megafires Have Become More Common, So Have Fire Tornadoes

Paradise, California's Camp Fire accelerated as it moved uphill. U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists conduct an experiment to discover why.

U.S.D.A. scientists conduct an experiment to discover why fires move uphill.

Why Fires Move Faster Up a Hill than Down

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US & Territories

The California wildfires of 2018 took a worrisome trend to a new extreme, claiming scores of lives and over a million acres. Scientists investigate how forestry practices, climate change, and drought may contribute to the rise of deadly megafires.

Scientists investigate the deadly megafires that swept through California in 2018.

Inside the Megafire

After the largest and deadliest wildfire in California's history to date scorches Paradise, California, a resident returns home and witnesses the Camp Fire's destruction firsthand.

A resident returns home and witnesses the Camp Fire's destruction firsthand.

Camp Fire Survivor Sees Destroyed Home for the First Time

The Camp Fire, which began on Nov. 8, 2018, was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history to date.

From the start, California’s deadliest fire had the potential for disaster.

How Did the Camp Fire Start and Spread?

As the Camp Fire scorches a community in Northern California, residents leave by car and on foot. Their journey is captured on harrowing cell phone videos.

As the Camp Fire scorches a community in California, residents leave by car and on foot.

Residents Flee Paradise During the Camp Fire

Inside the Megafire Preview

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Koch Foundation

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(This program is no longer available for online streaming.) From the front line of the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history, NOVA tells the stories of residents who had to flee for their lives during the 2018 fire season. Scientists racing to understand what’s behind the rise of record-breaking megafires across the American West take to the forest, and even a fire lab, in search of answers. They investigate how forestry practices, climate change, and the physics of fire itself play a role in the dramatic increase in wildfires in recent decades. (Premiered May 8, 2019)

Scientists investigate what was behind the deadly megafires that swept through California in 2018.

Scientists investigate what was behind the deadly megafires that swept through California in 2018.

Planet Earth

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Inside the Megafire

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Transcript

Credits

Participants

Support Provided By

Explore More

Fireproofing Our Future through Better Design

As Megafires Have Become More Common, So Have Fire Tornadoes

Why Fires Move Faster Up a Hill than Down

Controlled fires could actually save forests and fight climate change

Camp Fire Survivor Sees Destroyed Home for the First Time

Residents Flee Paradise During the Camp Fire

How aluminum wrap protects sequoias from wildfire

Inside the Megafire

Dogs sniff out cremation ashes amid wildfire destruction

Could the Deadliest Wildfire in U.S. History Become the New Norm?