In the tranquil darkness of the night, smoke gently floats into the bedroom where Aidan Martin and Ronald Fahy sleep. Abruptly, a smoke detector begins to wail. The two boys jolt awake. They roll off ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. Ever wonder why smoke alarms always seem to chirp in the middle of the ...

I knew the smell, all right. Linseed oil. The pungent odor roused me early one morning last week. My nose was twitching. I glanced at the clock, then at my hands. Maybe I hadn’t washed up thoroughly ...

How bad does the air get inside your house? What should schools do about recess? Western states have grappled with all that before. When New York City's skyline turned an eerie orange color with smoke ...

When New York City's skyline turned an eerie orange color with smoke from widespread wildfires in Canada, it was an all-too-familiar sight for residents of the Western U.S. In recent years, ...