Global Wildfires Drive 9% Rise in Carbon Emissions, Experts Warn

Global Wildfires Drive 9% Rise in Carbon Emissions, Experts Warn
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Carbon emissions from extreme wildfires rose by 9% last year, reaching the sixth highest level on record, The Guardian reported. A global assessment of significant fires between March 2024 and February 2025 revealed that widespread blazes devastated South America’s rainforests, dry forests, and wetlands, while northern Canadian forests also suffered severe losses, releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases.

In the Amazon, 44.2 million acres burned—a 66% increase from 2023—while Bolivia’s Pantanal wetlands and Chiquitano dry forest experienced intense fire events. The report highlighted that wildfires in Canada, Bolivia, Brazil, and Venezuela produced carbon emissions far above historical averages, with Canada’s fires three times higher than normal and Bolivia’s four times higher.

Africa, particularly Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also faced extreme fires, yet received little international attention. Global wildfires caused numerous fatalities, including 100 deaths in Nepal and 31 in Los Angeles, while fine particulate pollution reached up to 60 times the World Health Organization’s safety limits.

Experts said climate change, driven by human activity, is increasing the frequency, intensity, and severity of wildfires by creating drier conditions and predisposing landscapes to burn. Human land use further amplifies fire risk. Modeling indicated that the 2024-25 wildfires were two to three times more likely due to global heating, with some fires up to 70 times more probable in the Amazon. Researchers warned that without urgent greenhouse gas reductions, wildfire frequency and carbon emissions will continue to rise, accelerating global warming.