What happened after 2015? The Truth Behind the "Discontinuous" Increase in Global Wildfires: Burned Areas Decrease, Damages Surge

A new study published in Science re-evaluated 200 catastrophic wildfires from 1980 to 2023 based on their "impact on humans (GDP loss and fatalities)" and found that their frequency has increased approximately 4.4 times compared to the 1980s. Forty-three percent of these events were concentrated between 2014 and 2023, with 13 occurring in 2021. The Mediterranean coast and the western United States were particularly notable. The study highlights that the background factors include extreme "fire weather" intensified by climate change, the expansion of the wildland-urban interface (WUI), and delays in fuel management. While the total global burned area has decreased, the increased exposure of people and assets has led to greater damage, a phenomenon referred to as the "wildfire paradox." Suggested measures include enhancing the fire resistance of homes and neighborhoods, early warning systems, fuel management, revising insurance and financial designs, and reducing emissions. On social media, there was support for measuring impact based on human damage rather than area, alongside critiques pointing out data biases.