Climate change has more than doubled the length of wildfire seasons from Canada to the southern tip of Argentina. This escalation leads to greater burned areas and leads with tragic impacts for communities and ecosystems alike. Our new project The State of Wildfires, stateofwildfires.com, uncovers some eye-popping trends that indicate we’re in a new era of wildfire disasters. In areas such as Los Angeles, losses from a record-breaking January 2025 wildfire were catastrophic.
Perhaps most strikingly, the report highlights that extreme fire seasons are no longer limited to one region of the country. Projections suggest that catastrophic fires in the Congo Basin may rise five times by July 2024. Should this trend continue, this disturbing trend will endanger the region’s environmental and economic future. With ambitious climate action, we can limit this increase to only 11%. These shocking statistics highlight the crucial importance of global efforts to address climate change.
The Impact of Wildfires in California
In January 2025, wildfires in Los Angeles left over 30 dead and 150,000 residents evacuated as the flames, fanned by Santa Ana winds, consumed neighborhoods and infrastructure. The devastation included at least 11,500 houses lost with economic damages even more astounding at $140 billion. These numbers serve as a reminder of the tremendous loss of life and financial burden wildfires can bring on our communities.
The wildfires burning across the country are a 6600 alarm of just how frequent and intense these disasters are becoming. Unsurprisingly, climate change is fueling this shocking trend. According to the latest climate models, human-caused global warming increased the chances of wildfire in Los Angeles by twofold. Not only that, it made them 25 times bigger. Dr. Douglas Kelley stated:
“Our annual reports are building unequivocal evidence of how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme wildfires. Without human-driven warming, many of these wildfires, in Pantanal and Southern California, for example, would not have been on an extreme scale.”
Together, these findings have sweeping implications. More than 100 million Americans — and $215 billion in residential and transportation infrastructure — are now at risk from wildfires spanning the continent.
Global Consequences of Extreme Wildfire Events
The destructive impacts of wildfires are not confined to the U.S. In Ukraine, reports tell of thousands of civilians killed and injured each day. Nepal has counted at least 100 deaths, South Africa 34, Côte d’Ivoire 23, and others have occurred in Portugal, Turkey, and Canada. These recent tragedies remind us all that the dangers and risks of wildfire are a global issue, and so too is the responsibility to tackle them.
Specifically, the agribusiness sector in Brazil’s Pantanal region lost more than $200 million to wildfires. The economic impacts go beyond first-order damages. They upend ways of life and jeopardize food security in some of the world’s most marginalized communities.
Dr. Andrew Hartley emphasized the ongoing trend towards heightened wildfire prevalence:
“Our climate models show the trend towards more frequent and severe wildfires will continue, especially in a world where there are high greenhouse gas emissions.”
Some areas have faced acute air quality crises. Particulate matter PM2.5 concentrations surged to 60 times over the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines in some regions. This shocking increase puts the health of nearby communities at serious risk.
The Path Forward: Climate Action and Mitigation
Experts warn that climate action is needed immediately to prevent a worse wildfire future around the world. They warn that without significant intervention, extreme fire seasons could occur every 15–20 years by the century’s end if greenhouse gas emissions continue on their current trajectory. Dr. Maria Barbosa remarked:
“It is not too late to act to prevent a dramatic escalation in wildfires in regions across the world and limit the risks to people, property, infrastructure, economies, and biodiversity.”
The urgency could not be clearer ahead of world leaders meeting for COP30. Dr. Matt Jones urged:
“We urge world leaders at COP30 to make bold commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions rapidly this decade. This is the single most powerful contribution that most developed nations can make to avoiding the worst impacts of extreme wildfires on living and future generations.”
Using vegetation data and other information gathered by satellites along with sophisticated modeling techniques, USGS scientists looked at causes of wildfires during the 2024–2025 time period. Their research has long led them to conclude that climate change and land use changes are the most important factors driving wildfire trends.
Dr. Francesca Di Giuseppe noted that climate change is not only creating more dangerous fire-prone weather conditions but is affecting vegetation growth rates that provide fuel for fires.
“Climate change is not only creating more dangerous fire-prone weather conditions, but it is also influencing the rates at which vegetation grows and provides fuel for the fires to spread.”