And what we are learning about the role of trees
Climate change has made the weather hotter and drier, creating a widening global challenge as wildfires intensify worldwide.
Click through the following gallery to learn more about the most devastating fires in recent history.
On February 26, Japan experienced its worst wildfire in decades. The fire began in the northern prefecture of Iwate, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents and resulting in one fatality. The blaze continued for 12 days, spreading across approximately 2,900 hectares (7,166 acres) in the forests of Ofunato. The last wildfire of this magnitude in Japan occurred in Kushiro in 1992.
Starting January 7, a series of wildfires broke out around Los Angeles, California, driven by hurricane-force winds. The Palisades and Eaton fires were the two most destructive, and for almost a week, raged uncontrolled. The death toll rose to 29 and almost 200,000 people were evacuated. Entire communities were turned to ash, some of them the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city. High winds even spread the flames across the Pacific Coast Highway and onto the beach, where lifeguard stations were overwhelmed. Areas larger than the entire city of Paris were destroyed by the fires.
The Hawaiian island of Maui was ravaged by a fast-moving wildfire that began to intensify on August 8, 2023. The fires were whipped up by winds from Hurricane Dora which was passing to the south. The rapid spread took the islanders by surprise and terrifying videos show both adults and children jumping into the ocean to escape the flames that engulfed the historic town of Lahaina. Once busy streets were destroyed, leaving behind burnt-out cars and the rubble of countless homes and businesses. Tragically, more than 100 people were killed by the time the fires died out three days later.
Canada officially marked its worst wildfire season on record in 2023, and smoke from the blazes actually crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached Western Europe at the end of June. The smoke from the wildfires previously covered New York City in a cloud of smog, and on June 26, it actually spread as far as Portugal, Spain, and even the UK. It traveled via the jet stream, meaning strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere allow it to stay in the atmosphere longer and travel farther.
The fires burned a devastating 45 million acres of land. This surpasses the previous benchmark set in 1995 for the total area burned, which was at least 17.5 million acres, according to fire statistics from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Nine deaths were attributed to the fire.
A devastating brush fire broke out in the Orange County city of Laguna Niguel on the afternoon of May 11. It quickly spread along the coastline, exploding from 30 acres to 200 acres in size within an hour. Local firefighters struggled to control the expansive blaze, which burned through at least 20 homes and damaged another 11 structures.
The Marshall Fire broke out in Boulder, Colorado on December 30 and spread quickly due to strong winds. In less than 24 hours, tens of thousands of people had been evacuated and almost 600 homes destroyed. Several people were burned and two elderly people lost their lives in the fire. The severity of the situation was exacerbated by 105 mph (169 km/h) gusts of wind that drove the wildfires further across the region. It has been classified as the most destructive fire in Colorado history.
The Caldor Fire in California originally broke out on August 14 of 2021 and burned approximately 221,775 acres. It destroyed more than 700 buildings, most of them homes, and injured two residents. It burned for more than two months before being fully contained.
In the US, the Dixie fire that raged through California became the second biggest in history. It burned over 463,000 acres of land and displaced thousands of people. A historic gold rush town was destroyed in the blaze.
Greece was hit with more than 150 wildfires during the summer of 2021. Many of the most serious blazes broke out close to Athens, the country's capital. Two lives were lost and thousands of residents and tourists evacuated. Many people were asked to confine themselves in their home to avoid the toxic smoke hanging over Athens and its surrounding areas.
The fires came close to some of Greece's most precious ancient heritage sites. The Acropolis, pictured here, is surrounded by smoke under a hazy red sky due to nearby wildfires.
Greece's neighbor, Turkey, experienced a similar disaster. The country's southern and western coasts were engulfed in flames following record-breaking temperatures and drought. Around 160,000 hectares of forest were burned and several lives lost. Thousands were evacuated from holiday resorts and nearby towns, some even escaping by boat.
The number of summer forest fires in Italy tripled in 2021 compared to their yearly average. Many of the southern and central regions of the country were affected, with 10,000 hectares destroyed during a single three-day blaze. Thousands of people were displaced, farms destroyed, and animals killed.
More than four million acres of land were burned by wildfires in the Golden State, according to state fire agency Cal Fire. This greatly surpassed the all-time record of 1.9 million acres set during the 2018 California wildfires. The fires caused the deaths of 31 people, including three firefighters.
Blazes raged throughout Australia, with devastating consequences. The record-breaking temperatures reportedly helped these fires to spread even further.
Code Red alerts were put out, indicating the worst conditions, and air pollution severely affected major cities.
Twin wildfires burning through Northern California, known as the Mendocino Complex Fire, became the state’s largest on record, scorching more than 459,000 acres.
Multiple fires broke out in the region of Attica, north of Athens, on Monday, July 23, 2018.
The June wildfires near Pedrógão Grande, central Portugal, killed more than 60 people—the country's largest loss of life due to a forest fire.
The California wildfire season in 2017 was one of the most destructive ever, with a death toll of 43.
In 2010, Russia experienced unprecedented weather conditions, including one of the worst heatwaves since 1890.
Considered the deadliest wildfire in American history, the Peshtigo Fire is thought to have taken the lives of around 1,500 people (although the toll could have been as high as 2,500 since most official population records were burned).
The October forest fire roared across almost four million acres in Wisconsin and Michigan. It was sparked by rail workers who were clearing land to build new tracks.
The world's most catastrophic wildfires
Wildfires intensify worldwide, fueled by climate change
LIFESTYLE Breaking news
Climate change has made the weather hotter and drier, creating a widening global challenge as wildfires intensify worldwide.
Click through the following gallery to learn more about the most devastating fires in recent history.