Global Wildfire Risk Soars as Climate Change Fuels Dangerous Weather

Study finds number of days with extreme fire weather has nearly tripled in the past 45 years

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new study has found that the number of days with hot, dry, and windy weather conditions ideal for sparking extreme wildfires has nearly tripled globally over the past 45 years, with more than half of that increase attributed to human-caused climate change. The researchers say this trend increases the likelihood of widespread, hard-to-control fires as regions that used to have fire seasons at different times now overlap, straining resources.

Why it matters

As the world warms, more places are prone to go up in flames at the same time due to increasingly synchronous fire weather. This makes it harder for countries to have enough resources to put out all the fires popping up, as they can't rely on help from neighbors who are also dealing with their own blazes. The study highlights the growing threat of climate change-fueled wildfires worldwide.

The details

The study found that in 1979 and the following 15 years, the world averaged 22 synchronous fire weather days per year. By 2023-2024, that number had risen to over 60 days per year. More than 60% of the global increase can be attributed to climate change from burning fossil fuels. Regionally, the continental U.S. saw its average jump from 7.7 days per year in 1979-1988 to 38 days per year in the last decade, while southern South America went from 5.5 days to 70.6 days on average.

  • In 1979 and the following 15 years, the world averaged 22 synchronous fire weather days per year.
  • In 2023-2024, the world averaged over 60 synchronous fire weather days per year.

The players

John Abatzoglou

A fire scientist at the University of California, Merced and co-author of the study.

Cong Yin

A fire researcher at the University of California, Merced and lead author of the study.

Mike Flannigan

A fire scientist at Thompson Rivers University in Canada who was not part of the study.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“These sorts of changes that we have seen increase the likelihood in a lot of areas that there will be fires that are going to be very challenging to suppress.”

— John Abatzoglou, Fire scientist

“It increases the likelihood of widespread fire outbreaks, but the weather is one dimension.”

— Cong Yin, Fire researcher

“And that's where things begin to break.”

— John Abatzoglou, Fire scientist

What’s next

The study's findings highlight the urgent need for policymakers and communities to take action to mitigate the growing threat of climate change-driven wildfires, including investing in firefighting resources, improving forest management, and accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

The takeaway

This study underscores the alarming global trend of increasingly synchronous and extreme fire weather conditions fueled by climate change, which is making wildfires harder to control and putting more communities at risk around the world.