Climate Change Intensifies Fire Season Overlap, Study Reveals

Recent research shows that climate change is driving an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires worldwide, primarily by creating more days with 'fire weather'—a combination of heat, dry air, low rainfall, and strong winds. Notably, fire seasons in eastern Australia and western North America are now overlapping more than ever, which complicates the longstanding practice of sharing firefighting resources across hemispheres. The number of simultaneous fire-prone days in these regions has risen steadily since 1979, shrinking the window for international cooperation and straining firefighting capacities. Additionally, global compound fire weather events—hot, dry conditions that make fires more likely—have increased in frequency and intensity, with climate change projected to further augment population exposure to these hazardous events by the end of the century. This evolving threat underscores the urgent need for both stronger domestic firefighting resources and more aggressive climate action to reduce future risks and impacts. Experts warn that unless these challenges are addressed, communities around the world will face heightened dangers and diminished capacity to respond to increasingly severe wildfire seasons.