The frequency and severity of wildfires will continue to increase as the climate warms. The areas most severely affected will be those close to wilderness areas with dense plant life. In 2017 and 2018, there was a dramatic increase in fires along the west coast of the American continent, including Canada. The areas that have already burned can no longer catch fire because there is no fuel. If the fires persist, eventually, after enough of them have burned, there will be no forests left to burn.

In addition to the obvious losses, as the forests burn, they also release even more CO2 into the atmosphere, resulting in further climate warming. Many of the fires in thickly forested areas are started by lightning, and there is no way to prevent them. These wilderness area wildfires are started by nature and extinguished by nature when it rains. Firefighters do put out some fires when they are close to populated areas, but if you look at the images, especially of the fires in Western Canada, it is simply impossible to imagine a force of firefighters large enough to put out all the fires. If you look carefully at the EODIS images, you will also see that the fires continue until a bank of clouds covers them. When you next see the same areas, the fires have been extinguished. What will happen if the clouds become less frequent due to climate change? How much of the forests will burn?

If the climate continues to warm rapidly, the severity of wildfires will increase and affect other areas in the interior of the continent. Areas at risk for fires are any areas with dense natural vegetation. Populated areas at risk are those close to forested areas or other wilderness areas with dense plants without a ground-based water source.