Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires worldwide. Particularly in large coniferous forests in Canada, the United States, and Russia, the number of extremely intense fires has more than doubled in the past 20 years. This increase in extreme fires has been confirmed through temperature data collected by satellites.
Researchers have found that the power of wildfires has increased both during the day and at night, with the most intense fires growing in number and strength globally. Specifically, in coniferous forests in Canada, the western United States, and Russia, the impact of these fires has been significant due to the abundance of conifers like spruce and pine in these regions.
A study published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution compiled data on the heat radiation produced by nearly 31 million forest fires over the past two decades. They identified about 2,900 extreme fires, with the frequency of these fires increasing 2.2 times between 2003 and 2023. The average intensity of the 20 most intense forest fires also rose by 2.3 times.
While researchers have not directly linked the increase in extreme fires to climate change, they acknowledge that rising temperatures are likely contributing to the drying out of ecosystems, making them more susceptible to fires. The growth of the strongest fires has been observed in large coniferous forests in North America and Russia, highlighting the global impact of this trend.
The data on forest fires has led researchers to conclude that the effects of increased wildfires can be seen worldwide, with regions like Australia and southern Europe potentially showing a clearer emergence of extreme fires in the future. The decrease in grassland fires in Africa has also impacted global fire statistics, presenting a complex picture of how climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of wildfires globally.