How megafires are remaking the world

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🗞️ Driving the news: While fires have been a natural planetary occurrence for millions of years, their increased frequency and intensity have raised concerns among scientists, especially in the aftermath of Canada’s summer of wildfires
• On Aug. 15, a seemingly modest fire erupted in the hills above West Kelowna, British Columbia, turning into a raging inferno due to the parched landscape and fierce winds and leading to concerns about both human safety and wildlife

🔭 The context: Megafires, which are far more expansive than typical wildfires, can cause immediate ecological damage and have long-term impacts on the ecosystems and species that inhabit them
• Scientists believe that the increasing intensity of such fires is outstripping nature's ability to recover

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Such "megafires" not only have immediate ecological consequences but, in the longer term, could also drive some species to extinction, alter landscapes, and profoundly change ecosystems

⏭️ What's next: There's a need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate the impacts of these fires and to help ecosystems recover
• There are also growing calls for better infrastructure and tools to protect residents from the immediate impacts of fires, including smoke inhalation

💬 One quote: “Right now, everybody is talking about fires and smoke and who dies, because of the immediacy of this fire year. But really, truly, the long-term consequences are much more severe and sustained,” (Karen Hodges, University of British Columbia)

📈 One stat: The risk of catastrophic fires could increase by more than 50 percent by the end of the century, as reported by the United Nations

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