(Mashable) – Wildfires are a recurring problem as they occur seasonally in different regions of the world. California, the Amazon and now Australia, the wildfires seemingly start before the previous one can end. In response to the Australia bushfires, scientists have now said that the wildfires are dependent on anthropogenic global warming, describing that climate change due to human activities increases their spread.
In a Rapid Response Review of 57 research papers published since the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report in 2013, scientists found that climate change was linked to the increased frequency of wildfires. Lead author of the study, Dr. Matthew Jones from the University of East Anglia explained,
“Overall, the 57 papers reviewed clearly show human-induced warming has already led to a global increase in the frequency and severity of fire weather, increasing the risks of wildfire.” The probability of wildfires in fire weather was found to have increased with rising global temperatures, heatwaves and droughts. Fire weather or fire seasons are periods when the risk of fire is high due to factors like high temperature and winds along with low humidity and rainfall. FULL REPORT
