Summers have always been a contributing factor in igniting wildfires. In 2020 more than 100,000 acres went up in flames across Algeria. But this summer’s fires have been the most widespread, and destructive. This does not end in just one country. As it was reported in the news, a wildfire started a month ago in USA and engulfed a North Californian mountain town, wiping out historic buildings and leaving much of the downtown in ashes, while a new wind-whipped blaze destroyed the remaining part of the city.

Canada on other hand should have been prepared as increasing heat waves were clearly signalling something is going to happen and it happened after a few months. But Turkey was amongst the worst hit one. Turkey witnessed one of the biggest wildfires in history and still is battling it.

Here one thing can be observed commonly: the rising temperature. It is hard to state the exact source of a wildfire. In most of the countries wildfires are not unusual. But the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that– weather events such as frequent heat waves, extreme rainfalls and rising sea levels are important reasons behind the wildfires.  The major one is the global increase in average temperatures which can lead to more intense heat waves. This means that the increasing temperature and dry weather conditions that are a result of climate change may lead to more wildfires. Different factors define how much of a destruction a fire can cause.

This is what a review of scientific articles that tried to establish a link between climate change, heat waves and fire risk published since January 2020 noted as well. Climate change contributes to it as well. Droughts have increased on an average, and because of it, fuels dry out faster and so it helps the fire to start and spread. Extreme weather conditions, marked by dry fuels, storms, and strong winds, have increased substantially and they assist in rapid fire growth, as witnessed by the Bootleg Fire burning in Oregon and record-setting fires in California and Colorado in 2020. Heatwaves and historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight. Wildfires are increasing throughout the world rapidly. This is alarming to the world and it should be taken seriously.

Manas Tamboli