
Wildfires are uncontrolled fires in forests, grasslands and other biomes. They are a natural part of an ecosystem’s life cycle, yet wildfires are emblematic of our rapidly heating planet. They can start in seconds and burn out of control, destroying communities, generating air pollution and harming wildlife.
Wildfire weather requires heat, wind and dry conditions. Climate change is making these conditions more common around the world. The geographic spread of wildfires is expanding as fast as the fires themselves. They are even springing up in cooler regions. Global warming is causing more heatwaves and droughts, leaving land at greater risk of ignition from humans or lightning. Fire seasons are longer and the destructive power of wildfires is greater.
Huge wildfires can create their own weather, including fire tornadoes and pyrocumulus clouds. These can grow into thunderstorms, spawning lightning and triggering even more blazes. Wildfires also amplify global warming in a damaging feedback loop. The burning of forests releases colossal amounts of carbon back into the atmosphere, trapping even more heat. Trees are vital carbon sinks, so wildfires also limit a forest’s future potential to absorb carbon.