But the few remaining fire lookouts of the US Forest Service often live and work for weeks at a time on their own, scouring the horizon for any hint of smoke from remote lookout towers.

Indonesia is currently in the throes of the so-called fire season, which coincides with the driest months of the year. Vast tracts of forest in Brazil, Russia and Africa have also been burning.

In Palisades, California, onlookers watch flames in the distance. As of Jan. 9, 2025, 60 fire alerts have already been ...