Climate Change and Wildfire Season

Wildfires are becoming more frequent around the globe; wildfires (aka wildland fires) burned more than 1.5 million square miles of land around the world from March 2023 to February 2024 and pushed 8.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With each new wildfire season, we’re seeing the effects of hotter, drier weather on the severity, duration, and unpredictability of wildfires.

Residents across North America, Southern Europe, Australia, and even the Amazon are experiencing devastation from massive blazes, including long-term health impacts from smoke exposure.

Let’s explore the influence of climate change on wildfire season and some actionable steps that individuals and communities can take to reduce risk and stay prepared.

The Link Between Climate Change and Wildfires

In order to prepare for worsening conditions during wildfire season, we must first understand how climate change has been setting the stage for this increasing wildfire risk.

• Rising global temperatures: warmer temperatures often lead to drier vegetation, the perfect fuel for a rapidly-spreading fire. These longer warm seasons are leading to longer wildfire seasons, often beginning earlier in the year and extending later, and studies have found that these dry conditions have actually doubled the number of wildfires between 1984 and 2015 (sources: NOAA, EPA).
• Extended droughts: drought conditions have been exacerbated around the world by climate change, and research has shown that in many regions this has led to wildfires that are harder to contain and extinguish (sources: NOAA, EDF).
• Human intervention: from fire suppression tactics to deforestation, human activities have disrupted natural wildfire cycles, and in some areas that has led to an increase in the fire vulnerability of forests (sources: EDF, phys.org).

"As long as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the risk of extreme wildfires will escalate.” - Dr. Douglas Kelley, Senior Fire Scientist at the UK Center for Ecology & Hydrology

Responding to the Increased Wildfire Risk

While the scope of wildfires may feel overwhelming, there are tangible steps that can be taken to reduce risk and enhance preparedness. Homeowners can remove dead vegetation and keep trees trimmed around their houses, choose fire-resistant materials for roofing, siding, and renovations, and create “clean air spaces” indoors that can provide a break from smoke (learn more about preparing for wildfires and smoke).

Communities can support fire departments and local fire management efforts and take steps to provide for residents that might not be empowered to take action to protect themselves from fire and smoke, such as the homeless, outdoor laborers, and those that might not be able to fortify their homes against smoke and fire.

Everyone- not just those living in areas with a high risk of wildfire- can help mitigate the effects of climate change on wildfires by reducing your carbon footprint wherever you can and supporting reforestation efforts locally or nationally.

It is possible that we’re facing a future where there is no longer a ‘wildfire season,’ but instead a reality where the risk of wildfire and the health concerns from the impact of wildfire smoke on air quality is a year-round situation. Through education, preparation, and community action, however, we can influence this future. By taking a proactive approach and supporting policies that address the root causes of climate change, we can work together towards a more resilient future.

Learn more about how SC&A is supporting EPA in improving capacity to communicate public health information and help communities prepare for the effects of wildland fire smoke.

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