How can we prevent wildfire disasters?
- Media Manager
- Aug 16, 2023
- 1 min read
Eco-Business
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Published: August 17th, 2023
The deadliest US wildfires in over a century have killed more than 100 people in Hawaii, destroyed or damaged more than 2,200 buildings and caused an estimated US$5.5 billion in losses, grabbing global headlines about the effects of climate change.
The Maui wildfire ravaged the resort town of Lahaina in August, charring a 5 square-mile (13 square-km) area in hours and burning so ferociously that even metal structures melted.
As Europe's forests burn, why are wildfires getting worse?
The Hawaii disaster came soon after wildfires drove tourists to flee their hotels in Greece and major cities were blanketed in smoke from blazes in Canada, where fires have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 provinces and territories this year.
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across the world, found a May 2023 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 38 countries.
The duration of the fire weather season has lengthened by 27 per cent globally since 1979 and wildfires have become more frequent, OECD researchers said. In Australia, for example, wildfire frequency has doubled since 1980.
