Global Burning Decreases Despite Extreme Wildfires in Europe and North America

The world appears to be ablaze this summer, with wildfires in Europe and North America reaching extreme levels. However, global burning statistics are paradoxically at a record low, largely because Africa and Asia are implementing better fire control measures. This divergence is attributed to human activities impacting the planet.

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It does seem like a paradox because we’re talking increases in fires, yet the global numbers have been going down and down. But they’re both true.

"It does seem like a paradox because we’re talking increases in fires, yet the global numbers have been going down and down. But they’re both true," said fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in Canada. Spain has recorded its largest wildfire ever, exceeding 193 square miles, while Europe's wildfires are nearing an all-time high. In Canada and the United States, land burned by wildfires this summer is at least 25% above the 10-year average and more than double that of decades past, leading to widespread unhealthy air quality.

Fire scientists like Jennifer Balch from the University of Colorado note that "extreme wildfires are on the rise globally in different parts of the world. And that’s the piece that you know has us shaking in our boots." This intensification in specific regions contrasts sharply with global trends. The European climate center Copernicus reported that the world entered July with record low global emissions from burning fires, the lowest since satellite measurements began nearly 25 years ago – approximately half of early 2000s levels.

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Extreme wildfires are on the rise globally in different parts of the world. And that’s the piece that you know has us shaking in our boots.

This decrease is mainly due to reduced fires in Africa and Asia, driven by evolving agricultural practices, improved fire management, and population shifts, according to Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at Copernicus. UCLA water and fire scientist Park Williams highlights Africa's dominance in global fire activity, stating that "Africa dominates the global fire activity. So if there’s a trend in Africa, then that’s going to be the trend in the global fire activity." Fire activity in sub-Saharan Africa has declined dramatically over the past 25 years. Traditionally, large grassland fires in the African savanna contributed significantly to global totals, but increased land use for housing and farming, along with fire-prevention barriers, has limited these fires. In Asia and the Amazon, fires are often used for agricultural land clearing, but changes in these practices also influence global numbers.

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Africa dominates the global fire activity. So if there’s a trend in Africa, then that’s going to be the trend in the global fire activity.