Risk of uncontrollable wildfires will rise and spread globally, United Nations warns

Uncontrollable wildfires are intensifying with the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, according to a sweeping global report released Wednesday by the United Nations Environment Program and nonprofit GRID-Arendal, who said communities are not prepared for the escalating damage.

Even with deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, the U.N. analysis projected the risk of these extreme wildfires would rise 14 percent by 2030 and 30 percent by 2050. By the end of the century, that risk would increase by 50 percent.

Due to a combination of climate change and land use change, there has been a “dramatic shift” in wildfire patterns worldwide. Some areas, such as the Arctic, will probably experience a significant increase in burning by the year 2100. Tropical forests in Indonesia and the southern Amazon are also expected to experience increased fires if greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked.