What causes wild forest fires?

Research published this week suggests that forest fires are set to grow more severe in the coming decades, but what really causes them?

Scientists around the world are in near complete agreement that climate change is exacerbating forest fires such as those currently burning on the west coast of America and Argentina. Warmer temperatures and drier vegetation are culminating in the perfect conditions for fires to break out.

All but one of the most damaging fires in US history have taken place in the past decade and strong winds in 2020 resulted in California’s record for their largest wildfires being broken six times.

Dry forest land does not suddenly combust of its own accord, the spark needs to come from somewhere. Populations around the wildland-urban interface, nearby forests, is growing year on year, creating more opportunities for accidental fires to grow out of control.

During his presidency, Donald Trump remarked that it would soon become cooler, at the time speaking of the imminent winter, this appears to be a confusion between weather and climate.

While winter weather can help limit fires, long-term climate outlooks show a consistent warming.