Climate change is impacting wildfire risk and threatening more damage in the coming years.

Wildfires are known to be particularly problematic for people living in the Western United States, but fire activity is dramatically increasing in regions that are not typically associated with wildfires. 

Earlier this year, the New York Times published an article on the growing threat of wildfires, indicating the severity and frequency of wildfires will continue to have a widespread and worldwide impact.

A landmark United Nations report has concluded that the risk of devastating wildfires around the world will surge in coming decades as climate change further intensifies what the report described as a “global wildfire crisis.”

The scientific assessment is the first by the organization’s environmental authority to evaluate wildfire risks worldwide. It was inspired by a string of deadly blazes around the globe in recent years, burning the American West, vast stretches of Australia and even the Arctic.

Wildfires can bring significant and long-lasting damage to ecological, social, and economic systems. Research research highlights the increasing importance of identifying and understanding fire risk resilience and mitigation strategies. 

Read the full NYT article here

Date of Publication: February 28, 2022
Reported by: NYT Climate Reporter, Raymond Zhong, @zhonggg