In brief
A study published in the journal Science finds that the most costly wildfires happen four times more often now than they did in the 1980s, significantly affecting the global economy. This increase, linked to climate change and urban sprawl, highlights the urgent need for a strategic response to mitigate fire risks and environmental impact.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth’s most devastating and expensive wildfires are occurring four times more frequently than in the 1980s, according to a new study that attributes these changes to human-driven climate change and increasing human presence near wildlands.
The research published in *Science* assesses global wildfires not merely by acres burned, the standard metric, but by economic and human losses. The study reveals a pronounced “climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires.”
The research team, comprising scientists from Australia, America, and Germany, analyzed the 200 most destructive fires since 1980 based on their impact against the country's Gross Domestic Product, adjusting for inflation. They reported that such catastrophic fire events have surged about 4.4 times from 1980 to 2023, with lead author Calum Cunningham, a pyrogeographer from the University of Tasmania, noting this crisis is indisputable.
Approximately 43% of the identified destructive fires occurred in the last decade alone, with notable increases since 2015 correlating with extreme climatic conditions. In the 1980s, there were two major fires on average per year, whereas between 2014 to 2023, this average quickly escalated to nearly nine annually.
Concerningly, regions like Europe and North America lead in catastrophic fire occurrences, particularly in the Mediterranean and California, exacerbated by climate-induced dryness, as stated by Cunningham.
The analysis identified a tripling in instances where a single fire has claimed at least 10 lives, with events such as the 2023 Lahaina fire in Hawaii and California’s 2018 Paradise fire highlighting the human costs associated with these growing disasters. The frequency and intensity of these fires correlate strongly with extreme weather fueled largely by climate change.
Cunningham emphasized that defining fires by acreage is flawed since it can overlook significant human and economic impacts, urging that the focus should rather be on fires that threaten ecological integrity and human life.
However, acquiring accurate economic data on fire impacts remains a challenge, as many countries do not disclose such information. The study combined over 40 years of global data from insurance records and the International Disaster Database, revealing that extreme 'fire weather' conditions have been on the rise due to the burning of fossil fuels.
Experts conclude that addressing this growing fire crisis necessitates a collective effort to better prepare for and mitigate the impact of these environmental disasters. Acknowledging the intertwined nature of climate change, urban growth, and ecological preservation is crucial in devising long-term strategies to protect vulnerable habitats and populations.