Guardian: Mapped: How the world is losing its forests to wildfires.

A story based on a recent World Resources Institute study illustrated with great maps.

Wildfires have always been part of nature’s cycle, but in recent decades their scale, frequency and intensity in carbon-rich forests have surged. Research from the World Resources Institute (WRI) shows that fires now destroy more than twice as much tree cover as they did two decades ago. In 2024 alone, 135,000km² of forest burned – the most extreme wildfire year on record.

Experts warn that climate change is making wildfires bigger, longer and more destructive. Hotter, drier conditions are extending fire seasons and fuelling more extreme blazes. 2023 and 2024 had the most forest area burned by wildfires on record. They were also the two hottest years on record.