Dallas Air Quality Alert and Marquette's Ridge Fire

Today's news runs from a calm-weather air alert in North Texas to a still-burning fire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, plus three California stories about what wildfires leave behind.

Air quality alert for North Texas on Wednesday

North Texas is in for cool, sunny weather over the next several days, but an air quality alert is in place for Wednesday, FOX 4 News reports. Highs are expected in the low to mid 80s with low humidity, and the weekend is forecast to stay rain-free.

Clear, calm days can still bring poor air. On an alert day, it's reasonable to check local readings before planning hard exercise outdoors.

Ridge Fire near Marquette about half contained

The Ridge Fire, about 10 miles northwest of Marquette, Michigan, is about 50% contained at 466 acres and is still burning, MLive reports. A DNR pilot first spotted it on Oct. 9. It is part of the Rugged Terrain Complex, three wildfires the state is managing as one emergency incident.

The fire also burned the spot where state biologists had planned to set a trap to capture and radio-collar a cougar, which the DNR's large carnivore specialist said was likely their best chance this year.

The Oakland Hills fire, 35 years later

The 1991 Tunnel Fire in the Oakland hills destroyed 2,843 homes and 437 apartment units across less than 1,600 acres over five days, The Mercury News recalls. It injured 150 people and killed 25, with damage estimated at $1.5 billion. Embers carried by Diablo winds gusting to 60 mph spread it from home to home.

It was considered the most destructive wildfire in California history for 26 years, according to CalFire. Experts now point to it as an early example of "interface fires," where neighborhoods meet open land.

Survey: 1% of LA fire survivors with total losses are back home

A new survey found that only 1% of people who suffered a total loss in the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires have been able to return home, the Orange County Register reports. Survivors, clergy, nonprofit and business leaders from Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu renewed a call on Tuesday for long-term federal recovery funding.

Where burned Sierra trees end up

Trees killed in the 2020 Castle fire are being cut and trucked out of California's Sierra Nevada, and a wildlife biologist has been following the trucks to learn where they go, the Los Angeles Times reports. She is part of a coalition of forest advocates who suspect the wood is being burned for electricity, known as biomass energy.

The advocates argue that biomass burns dirtier than coal and is not truly renewable, since it can take a century or more for new trees to recapture the carbon.

Sources

Dallas weather: Comfortable temperatures continue, air quality alerts issued — FOX 4 News
Wildfire in U.P. derails Michigan's cougar capture plans near Marquette — MLive
1991 blaze showed devastating potential of urban wildfires — The Mercury News
Only 1% of Palisades, Eaton wildfire survivors have returned home, new survey says — Orange County Register
Where are California's dead trees going? A forest advocate turned detective to find out — Los Angeles Times

Canairy aggregates publicly reported air-quality and wildfire news and summarizes it in plain English, with links to the original sources. This is educational information, not medical or emergency advice. In a wildfire or air-quality emergency, follow guidance from local authorities.