The world is on fire, and it's getting worse. Wildfires, once a natural part of Earth's ecosystem, are now a global crisis, exacerbated by the very climate change they contribute to.
CO2 emissions from wildfires have surged, with a staggering 9% increase in 2024, marking the sixth-highest level ever recorded. This alarming trend is fueled by the devastating impact of climate change on our planet.
Last year, South America's lush rainforests, dry forests, and wetlands were ravaged by fast-spreading fires, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Canada's northern forests faced a similar fate, with vast areas reduced to ashes. These fires released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, further accelerating global warming.
The Amazon, one of Earth's vital lungs, was particularly hard-hit. In 2024, wildfires consumed 44.2 million acres, a shocking 66% increase in land loss compared to 2023. The Pantanal wetlands and the Chiquitano dry forest, straddling Bolivia and Brazil, witnessed extreme fire events, resulting in skyrocketing carbon emissions.
But here's where it gets controversial: scientists warn that these wildfires are not just a consequence of climate change; they are also a significant cause. Human-induced climate breakdown creates conditions that make wildfires more frequent and intense.
The State of Wildfires report reveals a grim picture. From March 2024 to February 2025, carbon emissions from wildfires were three times higher than average in Canada, four times in Bolivia, and 50% above average in Brazil and Venezuela. Africa, often overlooked, also suffered extreme wildfires, with Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo losing 6% and 2.5% of their land area to fires in just one week.
The human toll is devastating. Wildfires across the globe have claimed numerous lives, with 100 deaths in Nepal and 31 in Los Angeles. These fires also caused severe air pollution, with fine particulate matter levels exceeding WHO guidelines by up to 60 times.
A team of global experts compiled the report, utilizing modeling, regional observations, and scientific knowledge to track wildfires worldwide. They concluded that recent high-impact events align with a global trend of larger, more intense, and severe fires.
Climate change is a double-edged sword, increasing the frequency and severity of droughts and fire-prone weather conditions. It dries out vegetation, creating a tinderbox effect. At the same time, human activities, such as land-use changes, further elevate the risk of massive, fast-moving, and intense fires.
The report highlights that climate breakdown has supercharged wildfires globally. In Southern California, the burnt area from the Los Angeles wildfires was 25 times larger due to human-induced global heating. In the northeast Amazon, climate change made extreme wildfires up to 70 times more likely and quadrupled the devastation and burnt land area.
Matthew Jones, a co-author of the report from the University of East Anglia, emphasizes the scale of the problem. He states that the excess carbon emissions from wildfires are equivalent to the emissions of over 200 countries. Moreover, he warns that without urgent action from world leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these catastrophic events will become more frequent.
And this is the part most people miss: wildfires are not just victims of climate change; they are also perpetrators. In 2024-2025, global CO2 emissions were approximately 10% above average, largely due to extreme wildfire seasons in South America and Canada, where forests released additional CO2, accelerating global warming.
As we face this escalating crisis, the question remains: can we curb the impact of wildfires and climate change before it's too late? The answer lies in our collective actions and the decisions of world leaders. Will we rise to the challenge, or will we let the flames consume our planet's future?
