An unusually late fire season may bring coal to more than a few Christmases this year. Ongoing drought conditions across much of the West, Midwest and South have left ample fuel for ignition, keeping firefighters on edge and raising alerts in a number of states. The year appears poised to claim third place in the annals of worst fire seasons on record, following burns totaling 9.8 million acres in 2006 and 9.3 million acres in 2007. Go to story #1

As fires become more frequent and less controllable, they will impair the West's ability to absorb carbon and slow climate change, concludes a new analysis of the western United States' landscape. Go to story #2