The climate science behind wildfires: why are they getting worse?

We are in an emergency. Wildfires are raging across the world as scorching temperatures and dry conditions fuel the blazes that have cost lives and destroyed livelihoods.

The combination of extreme heat, changes in our ecosystem and prolonged drought have in many regions led to the worst fires in almost a decade, and come after the IPCC handed down a damning landmark report on the climate crisis.

But technically, there are fewer wildfires than in the past – the problem now is that they are worse than ever and we are running out of time to act, as the Guardian's global environment editor, Jonathan Watts, explains

[miriamful]

they are getting worse because of arsonists and drones

[nedhenderson]

How could he forget about Australia's 45million acres last year

[crown]

Climate change can’t continue to be used as an excuse for poor forest management.

[sanchog]

Wildfires are started by bored kids with matches not a bit more carbon dioxide in the air!!

[TheDoomWizard]

It's okay keep shopping, billionaires will save us

[cryt]

Hawaii just became 2012 movie. Whatever the reason this is, Climate change won’t be stopped as long as human is still alive.

[nopretribrapture]

Plus tinder near railway tracks, any spark from the trains wheels on hot dry areas etc

[jonathanroger]

10AM 23 AUGUST 🌎 TRAFALGAR SQUARE EXTINCTION REBELLION

[DemoratReapeR]

Why did they change from global warming?

[concernedcitizen]

Excess CO2 is very readily taken up by photosynthesis.

[djinghiskhan]

I'm here for the climate denier comments )

[commonsense]

On May 19, 1780 smoke from forest fires in Canada and cloudiness blocked the Sun to the point it got so dark people in New England had to light candles at noon. There were no gasoline cars back then.

[neswadiyah]

So rainforests have less chance of having wildfires?

[nramorrisg]

Then if you read up on it on fires how it saves the Earth living trees and plants without it doing that species will die-off we wouldn't have other beautiful flowers and trees just the way Mother Nature works and it's never going to stop.

[josephj]

There are forest fires currently burning in Canada, which is causing devastation. Crazy how this video was posted two years ago.

[TheTeaParty]

I always wondered what ever happened to all those people who flunked out of science class; guess they’ve all become climate junkies and hang out in sites like this.

[aarononeal]

If you're looking for a way to help the environment you can use ecosia they are a search engine that plants trees.

[astrazenica]

It's urban sprawl. Man made carbon dioxide has zero to do with wild fires

[philaskiphil]

coal is from ancient forest fires, ,,why all the nonsensical hysteria ?

[brockdomain]

why didn't this mention forestry or wildlands management as a solution or even an aid?