Wildfires: a call to action

Summer or dry season wildfires are an annual occurrence in many parts of the world and are a natural part of some ecosystems. However, the sheer number and scale of wildfires and the devastation wrought in some regions has shocked many this year. Record-breaking temperatures and long, severe droughts have created the conditions for exceptional wildfires in parts of Mediterranean southern Europe and North Africa, including in Greece and the Spanish Canary Islands, where fires have destroyed homes and displaced thousands of people. Heat and prolonged drought have driven the most extensive wildfire season in Canada for decades. As of August 21, 2023, there were more than 1000 active fires across Canada and more than 15 million hectares of land have burned so far this year. The Pacific Northwest region of Canada has been very badly affected, with tens of thousands of people requiring evacuation. In the US, the tragic wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui were the deadliest seen in a century. More than 100 people are thought to have lost their lives in the Maui wildfires, which also destroyed more than 2000 buildings in the historic city of Lahaina and caused an estimated US$ 5·5 billion worth of damage.

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