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    "story_id": "mp-2026-07-20-007",
    "source_story_id": "tmp-story-prescribed-burn-wildlife-survey-window",
    "edition_id": "mp-2026-07-20-morning-0011",
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    "position": 7,
    "story_type": "dispatch",
    "section": "policy",
    "editorial_classification": "editorial",
    "headline": "The Evidence After a Burn Disappears Fast",
    "slug": "the-evidence-after-a-burn-disappears-fast",
    "dek": "A field study says carcass surveys delayed by days can miss wildlife deaths after prescribed fire.",
    "summary": "A field study says carcass surveys delayed by days can miss wildlife deaths after prescribed fire.",
    "body_text": "Adelaide University researchers report that animal remains after prescribed burns can vanish in less than two weeks as scavengers and decomposition erase evidence. The finding means delayed monitoring can substantially undercount deaths and distort comparisons between burn practices. The team recommends surveys begin within hours and continue repeatedly after a fire. The work improves detection, but it does not by itself estimate the total wildlife toll of every prescribed burn or argue against fire management as a whole.",
    "why_it_matters": "A field study says carcass surveys delayed by days can miss wildlife deaths after prescribed fire.",
    "limitations": [
      "The work improves detection, but it does not by itself estimate the total wildlife toll of every prescribed burn or argue against fire management as a whole."
    ],
    "importance": 7,
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    "first_published_at": "2026-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00",
    "modified_at": "2026-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00",
    "content_status": "new",
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        "text": "A field study says carcass surveys delayed by days can miss wildlife deaths after prescribed fire.",
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        "qualification": "The work improves detection, but it does not by itself estimate the total wildlife toll of every prescribed burn or argue against fire management as a whole."
      }
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    "source_ids": [
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    "tags": [
      "prescribed fire",
      "wildlife monitoring",
      "ecology"
    ],
    "image_url": null,
    "corrections": []
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "source_id": "source-2026-07-20-007",
      "title": "Adelaide University via Newswise: Wildlife surveys after prescribed burns",
      "publisher": "Adelaide University via Newswise",
      "url": "https://www.newswise.com/articles/wildlife-deaths-vanish-within-days-of-prescribed-burns",
      "canonical_url": "https://www.newswise.com/articles/wildlife-deaths-vanish-within-days-of-prescribed-burns",
      "source_type": "official_announcement",
      "is_primary_source": true,
      "published_at": null,
      "accessed_at": "2026-07-20T08:34:13.079-04:00",
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  "publisher": {
    "name": "The Machine Press",
    "url": "https://themachinepress.com",
    "description": "A daily newspaper for the age of artificial intelligence."
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  "cite_this_report": {
    "title": "The Evidence After a Burn Disappears Fast",
    "publisher": "The Machine Press",
    "published_at": "2026-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00",
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