Wildfires are more harmful than they seem

Overview

As many have noticed recently, wildfires have been occurring more and more frequently in the last 20 years. This was formally confirmed on August 13, 2024, when researchers used data from the University of Maryland to calculate that from 2001 to 2023, forest fires have been claiming about 5.6% more land each year. Fires have become so much more widespread that they have become proportionally more dangerous than other forest-diminishing industries. In 2001, fires caused only 20% of tree cover loss, which has steadily increased over the years to become 33% in 2023. 2023 was the worst year globally for wildfires–so what is causing this trend? And how do we stop wildfires from ravaging our already depleting resources?

Climate change

Now that we know that the increase in wildfires exists, the next step is to figure out what’s causing it. There are many factors that can increase the likelihood of a wildfire. Notably, drought, heat, kindling, and dryness are all major contributors. So why are conditions changing to promote wildfires? The answer is climate change. The greenhouse effect, causing temperatures to increase in many regions, is indirectly lowering humidity, causing drought, and causing trees and other plants to become drier and more prone to catching fire. Just one ember or lightning strike can set a fire in motion, encouraged by the perfect breeding ground that is the result of climate change. As the pattern of climate change continues to affect more regions, we can almost certainly expect the number of wildfires to keep climbing. 

The problem is worse than it seems

We may think that wildfires are not one of the more pressing byproducts of climate change. However, wildfires are a bigger threat than they’re given attention for. What’s special about wildfires is that they create a positive feedback loop, when one factor leads to an outcome which exacerbates the original problem. In this case, climate change (specifically the warming and drought in certain areas) is the first factor. This then leads to wildfires, which unfortunately leads to climate change being spurred on even more. This happens in natural wildfires because of the release of CO2 into the atmosphere after plants burn. Without human intervention, new trees would grow in the place of the old ones. As the new plants grew, they would eventually restore the balance of CO2 to normal through the process of photosynthesis with minimal lasting damage. However, human-caused wildfires can end up burning peat, which stores carbon dioxide, and thaw permafrost, which contains huge amounts of methane. This extreme amount of greenhouse gas being released cannot be absorbed by the ground for thousands of years, leaving it in the atmosphere to trap even more heat on Earth. The cycle continues as more greenhouse gasses trap more heat and create conditions in which wildfires thrive. 

What does this have to do with health?

Wildfire smoke undoubtedly is a threat to health. It contains many airborne pollutants which can lead to irritation in the eyes or respiratory tract, but can also cause effects as devastating as heart failure and death. The particles of pollution contained in wildfires are considered respiratory irritants and so, when wildfire smoke is abundant, it’s always safest to limit contact with it. People with higher risk from particle pollution include those with chronic disease or lung issues, and those who are currently battling illness. Air pollution can worsen chronic conditions and in the case of viral and bacterial infections, the air pollution can impair the body’s ability to expel the foreign substances from our bodies. 

Next steps

There are some very conscious steps we can take to avoid wildfires. Since many are human-caused completely by accident, we should always remember to be careful with our campsites and flammable materials. It should be a habit to completely put out all fires (even the smallest embers!) when camping, pick up any trash that could turn into kindling for a fire, and make sure any fires being set are in an open location with little flammable material nearby. When the air is contaminated from wildfire smoke, we should stay indoors and try to limit exposure in general. Since wildfires are such a problematic event that continues the cycle of climate change, we should do everything in our power to limit them. 

Works Cited

“Health Effects Attributed to Wildfire Smoke | US EPA.” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2 November 2023, https://www.epa.gov/wildfire-smoke-course/health-effects-attributed-wildfire-smoke. Accessed 11 September 2024.

Macias, Antonio. “New Data Confirms: Forest Fires Are Getting Worse.” World Resources Institute, 13 August 2024, https://www.wri.org/insights/global-trends-forest-fires. Accessed 11 September 2024.

Powell, Alvin. “Wildfires are much worse than a sign of climate change, says expert.” Harvard Gazette, 23 August 2023, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/wildfires-are-much-worse-than-a-sign-of-climate-change-says-expert/. Accessed 11 September 2024.

“Wildfire climate connection.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://www.noaa.gov/noaa-wildfire/wildfire-climate-connection. Accessed 11 September 2024.