Forest fires aren’t just wrecking potential for rain; they are also wrecking the groundwater. A review of twelve research papers, written by Alex Tat-Shing Chow, Tanju Karanfil, and Randy A. Dahlgren and appearing in Eos finds that, as fire destroys buildings and infrastructure, it releases toxicants into the soil where they can leech into groundwater. People have complained about smoky-smelling tap water, and research is now showing that the same heavy metals that were known to wash into surface water are also ending up deeper. Processes meant to remove these pollutants can also lead to disinfection by-products that are also harmful. Making things even worse, phosphorus-rich pollutants can trigger algal growth, and that algae can release a wealth of unhealthy toxins as well.

Basically, Fire and Water are enemies, and it turns out, the by-products of fire are out to destroy our water. I like these kinds of things better in a game of Magic the Gathering. These real-world elemental battles are a lot.

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Wildfires Are Threatening Municipal Water Supplies (Eos)