Wildfire

Wildfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in areas of combustible vegetation, such as forests, grasslands, or shrublands. Wildfires can be caused by natural events, like lightning, or human activity, and their behavior is influenced by fuels, topography, and weather. While some ecosystems depend on fire for regeneration, wildfires can threaten human communities, property, air quality, and soil and water resources. Climatic conditions, including drought and heat, can increase wildfire severity, and these conditions are being influenced by climate change.

Satellite Image: Smoke from wildfires in Bolivia, September 2024
Ozone from wildfires reduces Amazon carbon uptakeClimate

Ozone from wildfires reduces Amazon carbon uptake

Ozone pollution released by Amazon wildfires is significantly reducing the rainforest's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, new research reveals. Summary: Wildfires can…
SourceSourceOctober 8, 2026 Full article
Image: Polar bear at sunset on ice
Climate Science Digest: September 25, 2026Science

Climate Science Digest: September 25, 2026

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (September 25, 2026), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskSeptember 25, 2026 Full article
Image: he 'Mosaico Extremadura' initiative in northern Extremadura (Spain)
Landscape planning strengthens wildfire resilienceClimate

Landscape planning strengthens wildfire resilience

International study identifies key factors for successful wildfire management Summary: Wildfire risk across the Northern Mediterranean is rising as climate change, land abandonment and fuel…
SourceSourceSeptember 8, 2026 Full article
Image: A large airtanker makes a water drop on the Summit Trail Fire in Washington (s. air quality, wildfires)
Wildfires, heatwaves endanger air quality, healthClimate

Wildfires, heatwaves endanger air quality, health

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Wildfires and heatwaves, which generate microscopic airborne pollutants, risk undermining international efforts to improve air quality, protect human health…
SourceSourceSeptember 7, 2026 Full article
Image: Wildfire damage east of Belgrade, Serbia (Copernicus Sentinel-3, 8 August 2026)
Climate change could nearly triple wildfire-burned area in EuropeClimate

Climate change could nearly triple wildfire-burned area in Europe

Model projections suggest continued improvements in prevention, detection and firefighting could substantially limit future fire activity, but may not fully keep pace as conditions become…
SourceSourceAugust 21, 2026 Full article
Infographic with a map showing the High Fens nature reserve in Belgium, on the border with Germany, showing active fires since August 14, 2026
Belgium fire makes ‘limited’ spread overnight, more help on wayNews

Belgium fire makes ‘limited’ spread overnight, more help on way

Robertville, Belgium | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Air reinforcements were headed to Belgium Monday to help combat the country's worst wildfire in a century, which made…
SourceSourceAugust 17, 2026 Full article
Image: Median Fire Weather Index (FWI) anomaly map (Europe, 13-19 Aug. 2026)
Latest developments: Europe battles wildfiresNews

Latest developments: Europe battles wildfires

Paris, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Countries across Europe were battling a wave of new wildfires Friday as blistering temperatures and tinder-dry landscapes made for…
SourceSourceAugust 14, 2026 Full article
Image: a forest showing aftermath of a wildfire
Fast-spreading wildfires can reshape forest landscapesScience

Fast-spreading wildfires can reshape forest landscapes

An analysis of nearly 3,500 fires found that extreme wildfire spread can leave forests with fewer surviving trees and a reduced capacity to regenerate after…
SourceSourceAugust 13, 2026 Full article
Image: Binary world illustration
Economic losses from natural disasters fall to $100 bn in first half of 2026: Swiss ReNews

Economic losses from natural disasters fall to $100 bn in first half of 2026: Swiss Re

Zurich, Switzerland | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Credit: Swiss Re Economic losses from natural catastrophes worldwide are estimated to have reached $100 billion in the first…
SourceSourceAugust 11, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Danube river, Hungary
Europe braces for another summer heatwaveNews

Europe braces for another summer heatwave

Paris, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Much of Europe is bracing for yet another heatwave following periods of scorching temperatures that have driven rivers to…
SourceSourceAugust 10, 2026 Full article
Fire globe - abstract (s. climate, temperatures, forever chemicals, wildfires)
One woman confirmed dead in western Canada wildfireNews

One woman confirmed dead in western Canada wildfire

Montreal, Canada | AFP An 80-year-old woman died while leaving her home trying to escape a massive wildfire in Canada's British Columbia province, the Royal Canadian…
SourceSourceAugust 10, 2026 Full article
Image: Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Ranupani, East Java, Indonesia
Indonesia closes national park as wildfire spreadsNews

Indonesia closes national park as wildfire spreads

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Indonesian authorities have closed access to a national park on Java Island as firefighters battle a wildfire raging there…
SourceSourceAugust 9, 2026 Full article
Image: A firefighting aircraft releasing water to combat a forest fire
Canada tries to adapt to a future of wildfiresNews

Canada tries to adapt to a future of wildfires

Montreal, Canada | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Faced with another summer when wildfires have scorched millions of hectares of land and blankets of smoke have disrupted…
SourceSourceAugust 8, 2026 Full article
Image: silhouette of trees on smoke covered forest (s. Arctic fires)
Human activity linked to more frequent Arctic firesScience

Human activity linked to more frequent Arctic fires

Climate remains a major driver of Arctic fire risk, but human activity also appears to play a significant role. A University of Zurich-led study found…
SourceSourceAugust 7, 2026 Full article
Image: wildfires in Canada
Climate change made Canadian wildfires twice as likely: studyNewsClimate

Climate change made Canadian wildfires twice as likely: study

Washington, United States | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Human-caused climate change made the extreme fire conditions behind this year's Canadian wildfires twice as likely to happen,…
SourceSourceAugust 6, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: A Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 2 August 2026 shows the extensive burn scar left by the wildfire near Psatha and Porto Germeno in western Attica, Greece
Greeks survey damage left by fires near AthensNews

Greeks survey damage left by fires near Athens

Athens, Greece | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Greek officials and residents of a region west of the capital Athens on Wednesday began to assess the damage…
SourceSourceAugust 5, 2026 Full article
Image: Firefighters, Paris, wildfire in Gironde
France, Spain battle ‘monster’ wildfires with more heat on the wayNews

France, Spain battle ‘monster’ wildfires with more heat on the way

Bordeaux, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk (Updated 27 July 2026 - 07:08) Firefighters battled massive blazes tearing through forests across France and Spain Monday, as…
SourceSourceJuly 27, 2026 Full article
Image: Fire danger forecast map July 2026
Deadly wildfires in Europe force thousands to fleeNews

Deadly wildfires in Europe force thousands to flee

Lège-Cap-Ferret, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Wildfires fanned by scorching temperatures and strong winds swept through parts of western Europe on Friday, triggering a state…
SourceSourceJuly 24, 2026 Full article
Fire globe - abstract (s. climate, temperatures, forever chemicals, wildfires)
France sees record area burned by wildfires by mid-July: monitorNews

France sees record area burned by wildfires by mid-July: monitor

Paris, France | AFP More than 42,000 hectares have burned in France by mid-July this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, according to the…
SourceSourceJuly 21, 2026 Full article
Image: fog in Toronto, Canada
Canada faces one of its most intense fire seasonsNews

Canada faces one of its most intense fire seasons

Montreal, Canada | AFP | Muser NewsDesk With nearly 1,000 active fires and an area as large as Belgium already burned, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney…
SourceSourceJuly 20, 2026 Full article
Image: A black and white warbler
Canadian wildfire smoke linked to changes in New York bird sightingsScience

Canadian wildfire smoke linked to changes in New York bird sightings

UB study compared air quality data with birdwatching reports, including during historic 2023 wildfire season Summary: Smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires may make many breeding…
SourceSourceJuly 17, 2026 Full article
Image: a foggy skyline with a tall building in the distance
Hazardous Canadian wildfire smoke choking millions in USNews

Hazardous Canadian wildfire smoke choking millions in US

New York, United States | AFP | Muser NewsDesk The Manhattan skyline was obscured by thick haze and Chicago closed its beaches Thursday as out-of-control Canadian…
SourceSourceJuly 17, 2026 Full article
Fire globe - abstract (s. climate, temperatures, forever chemicals, wildfires)
Planes fight fire in Fontainebleau forest near ParisNews

Planes fight fire in Fontainebleau forest near Paris

Le Vaudoué, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Firefighting aircraft battled to contain a wildfire raging in a forest south of Paris for a second day…
SourceSourceJuly 13, 2026 Full article
Fire globe - abstract (s. climate, temperatures, forever chemicals, wildfires)
Thousands flee raging wildfires in southern EuropeNews

Thousands flee raging wildfires in southern Europe

Ille-Sur-Têt, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Wildfires raged across southern Europe on Monday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to…
SourceSourceJuly 6, 2026 Full article