Power plants and automobiles
Many power plants burn coal or natural gas, while most vehicles burn gasoline or diesel.
Climate science explainer
Are forest fires tied to climate change?
Yes. Climate change usually does not provide the spark, but it creates hotter, drier conditions that help fires spread farther, burn longer, and become more intense.
Where the extra warming comes from
Burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation adds greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, strengthening the warming effect that increases fire risk.
More greenhouse gases
Combustion releases carbon dioxide, which accumulates in the atmosphere and traps additional heat.
A warmer climate
Rising temperatures increase evaporation and contribute to hotter, drier conditions in many regions.
Greater fire risk
Drier vegetation, longer fire seasons, and extreme fire weather can help fires spread and intensify.
Important distinction: Vehicle and power-plant emissions do not usually ignite a forest fire directly. They contribute to climate change, which makes the conditions surrounding a fire more dangerous.
How warming raises fire risk
Climate change shifts the background conditions. Each shift can make vegetation easier to ignite and help a fire grow.
Higher temperatures
Warm air increases evaporation and pulls moisture from soil, plants, and fallen leaves.
More heat and drought
Hot, rain-free periods can turn living and dead vegetation into dry fuel.
Earlier snowmelt
When snow disappears earlier, forests may enter dry conditions sooner in the year.
Longer fire seasons
More warm, dry days create a wider window when large fires can develop.
More dangerous fire weather
Heat, dryness, low humidity, and wind can combine to accelerate fire spread.
A fire still needs three ingredients
Climate is an important risk multiplier, but it is not the only cause. Ignitions and available fuel also matter.
Fire weather
Hot, dry, windy conditions
Ignition
Lightning or human activity
Available fuel
Grass, shrubs, trees, and debris
The feedback loop
Severe fires can also influence the climate system.
1
Forests burn
Carbon stored in vegetation and soils can enter the atmosphere.
2
Carbon dioxide increases
Some fire emissions add heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere.
3
Carbon storage is reduced
Damaged forests may absorb less carbon while they recover.
Bottom line
Burning fossil fuels warms the climate. Climate change may not strike the match, but it can make the landscape much more ready to burn.
Forest management, accumulated fuels, invasive plants, land-use choices, and patterns of human ignition can either increase or reduce local fire risk. Climate effects vary by ecosystem and region.