Since Tuesday, the city of Los Angeles, California has been facing a raging wildfire that has been devastating everything in its wake for more than a week. On the 7th of January, the Paradise Fire started in the Topanga State Park and the Eaton Fire started in the LA border to the Angeles National Park. Drought conditions and a dry atmosphere fuelled the fires and helped them spread rapidly. The Santa Ana winds flowing through coastal California at a speed of 100m/hr, make the task of controlling the fire even more difficult. As of now, 27 people have lost their lives to the fire and 31 people are missing. Approximately 38000 acres of area and 12000 homes are burned by the fires. About 82,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 90,000 are under evacuation warnings. This fire is the recent addition to the long list of large wildfires the world has experienced in recent years.
Most Devastating wildfires globally in recent years:
Over the last decade, the world has witnessed some of the most devastating wildfires in history, each with significant impacts on the environment, economies, and human livelihoods.
2023 Canada Wildfires:
Approximately 45.7 million acres (18.5 million hectares) of land were burnt across multiple provinces of Alberta and British Columbia in 2023, which was the most severe wildfire season on record in Canada. The fire, which was primarily fuelled by excessive heat, extended drought conditions, and lightning strikes, had a significant economic impact, resulting in widespread evacuations and enormous carbon emissions estimated at more than 2,170 megatons. The destruction of extensive forest tracts led to habitat loss for a variety of animals, while poor air quality afflicted thousands of humans.
2020 California wildfires:
This fire burnt around 4.4 million acres (1.8 million hectares) from August to December, making it the greatest wildfire season in California’s recorded history. High heat and high winds aggravated the problem. The economic toll exceeded $12 billion, with major property loss, significant health effects from smoke inhalation affecting millions, and long-term environmental ramifications.
2020 Australia:
During the 2019-2020 bushfire season, Australia experienced devastating forest fires that burned between 24 million and 39 million acres (9.7 to 15.8 million hectares). Droughts and hot temperatures fuelled the fires, which claimed at least 33 lives and destroyed more than 3,000 dwellings. The economic impact was tremendous, with losses estimated at approximately $100 billion, and biodiversity suffered greatly, with an estimated 3 billion creatures harmed.
2021 Russia wildfire
Wildfires raged in Siberia and the Russian Far East in the summer of 2021, consuming 7.8 million to 16.1 million acres (3.2 to 6.5 million hectares). Extreme heatwaves and dry conditions fuelled these fires, causing substantial ecological damage and increasing global carbon emissions.
2023 Hawaii wildfires:
The terrible fire of 2023 in Hawaii, striking predominantly Maui from August 8 to August 10. These flames, fuelled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora and dry circumstances, burned approximately 14,000 acres (5,600 hectares), killing at least 100 people and destroying much of the infrastructure. The economic losses surpassed $5 billion, while local communities faced long-term rebuilding issues.
Amazon Fire of 2019:
The Amazon rainforest also faced serious challenges during the 2019 fire season, when about 906,495 to 930,776 acres (366,000 to 376,000 hectares) were burned, mostly due to deforestation practices mixed with dry circumstances. The economic consequences included large losses due to biodiversity loss and potential effects on tourists.
2018 Fire of California
Between November 8th and 25th, 2018, the California Camp Fire burnt approximately 153,336 acres (62,500 hectares). This fire became the deadliest in California history, with at least 85 people killed and approximately 19,000 houses destroyed. The estimated economic losses from property destruction topped $16.5 billion.
2018 Attica Fire of Greece:
The 2018 Attica wildfires in Greece burned around 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) on July 23 and July 24. Extreme heatwaves, along with strong winds, contributed to the quick spread of the fire; at least 104 people were killed, making it one of Europe’s deadliest wildfires in recent history. Property losses and tourism interruptions had an economic cost of roughly €500 million.
Cause of this Growth in Wildfires:
Although humans have long been facing large wildfires, their frequency has grown alarmingly in recent years. Data indicates there is a clear trend of more severe fire seasons in recent years and forest fires now account for about 33% of global tree cover loss compared to just 20% in 2001. In the years between 2020 and 2024, there is an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 wildfires occur per year. Several key factors are responsible for this trend which are discussed below.
Climate Change:
Climate change and conditions due to it are the main driving force behind the increased occurrence of frequent wildfires. The increased global average temperature which is one degree more than 150 years ago creates hotter and drier conditions optimal for these fires. Frequent droughts add to these increasing dried vegetation susceptible to fire. Heat waves in most cases act as the spark for these massive fires. Adding to that each fire causes massive carbon deposits which in the future act as fuel, creating a vicious feedback loop of wildfires.
Human Activities:
Although climate change is a consequence of human activities, several direct human behaviours are also responsible for these wildfires. Urban expansion into forested areas creates “wildland-urban interfaces,” which increases the risk of fire ignitions. Agricultural Practices and unsustainable land use practices, such as land clearing for agriculture and deforestation also cause massive wildfires. The Amazon rainforest fire of 2019 where the rainforest lost its largest ecosystem to this day was caused by direct human ignitation. Meat farmers in South America deliberately burn Amazon lands to create grazing fields for the ever-increasing livestock to meet the demands of meat consumers in Western nations.
Also, common human habit-related causes like discarded cigarettes, unattended campfires, equipment malfunctions and electrical equipment failures can spark wildfires. Natural causes like lightning and volcanic eruptions also sometimes cause forest fires.
Impact of wildfires on Economy and Biodiversity
From an economic point of view over the past decade, wildfires have caused estimated global economic damages exceeding $250 billion. In 2023 alone the fire caused damage of around $6.31 Billion. Apart from that the long-term suffering that the fire caused is yet to be quantified. Relocation, rebuilding, passive damages of infrastructure destruction and mental toll on the population are the symptoms that are often forgotten.
Biodiversity loss is the most important consequence for the planet that it suffers through due to these fires. In recent years, nearly 12 million burned globally due to wildfires, with Canada accounting for about two-thirds (65%) of fire-driven tree cover loss in 2023 alone. In the Australian bushfires from 2019 to 2020, an estimated 3 billion animals were affected. Adding to that the loss of the ecosystem also slows down the recovery of that biodiversity for years to come. Carbon emission skyrockets in the geographical vicinity of the fire-affected areas leading to respiratory damage for both humans and animals.
The conditions that prompt these fires are a reality in the near future, even if steps are taken regarding the root causes. Alteration in global climate is slow but so does the recovery. Thus, it is high time the human species recognise its mistakes and make unanimous effort to conserve the planet that we live in.