View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires.
Authors: Cunningham, Calum X., Abatzoglou, John T., Kolden, Crystal A., Williamson, Grant J., Steuer, Markus, Bowman, David M. J. S.
Source: Science. 10/2/2025, Vol. 390 Issue 6768, p53-58. 6p.
Subjects: Wildfires, Climate change, Land management, Biomes, Built environment
Abstract: Climate change and land mismanagement are creating increasingly fire-prone built and natural environments. However, despite worsening fire seasons, evidence is lacking globally for trends in socially and economically disastrous wildfires, partly due to sparse systematic records. Using a 44-year dataset (1980 to 2023) we analyze the distribution, trends, and climatic conditions connected with the most lethal and costly wildfires. Disastrous wildfires occurred globally over this period but were concentrated in the Mediterranean and temperate conifer biomes. Disaster risk was highest where highly energetic daily fire events intersected affluent, populated areas. Economic disasters increased sharply from 2015 onward, with 43% of the 200 most damaging events occurring in the last decade. Disasters coincided with increasingly extreme climatic conditions, highlighting the urgent need to adapt to a more fire-prone world. Editor's summary: As climate warms and humans build in more undeveloped environments, the threat of costly wildfire disasters is thought to be increasing. Cunningham et al. examined data about the global distribution, frequency, and associated climate conditions of the most lethal and costly wildfire disasters from 1980 to 2023, finding that disaster risk was highest in regions near relatively affluent, populated areas, and that the frequency of economically disastrous wildfires increased sharply after 2015. They also found that major disasters coincided with extreme climatic conditions. —Jesse Smith [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 188431533
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cunningham%2C+Calum+X%2E%22">Cunningham, Calum X.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Abatzoglou%2C+John+T%2E%22">Abatzoglou, John T.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kolden%2C+Crystal+A%2E%22">Kolden, Crystal A.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Williamson%2C+Grant+J%2E%22">Williamson, Grant J.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Steuer%2C+Markus%22">Steuer, Markus</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bowman%2C+David+M%2E+J%2E+S%2E%22">Bowman, David M. J. S.</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science%22">Science</searchLink>. 10/2/2025, Vol. 390 Issue 6768, p53-58. 6p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Wildfires%22">Wildfires</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Land+management%22">Land management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biomes%22">Biomes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Built+environment%22">Built environment</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Climate change and land mismanagement are creating increasingly fire-prone built and natural environments. However, despite worsening fire seasons, evidence is lacking globally for trends in socially and economically disastrous wildfires, partly due to sparse systematic records. Using a 44-year dataset (1980 to 2023) we analyze the distribution, trends, and climatic conditions connected with the most lethal and costly wildfires. Disastrous wildfires occurred globally over this period but were concentrated in the Mediterranean and temperate conifer biomes. Disaster risk was highest where highly energetic daily fire events intersected affluent, populated areas. Economic disasters increased sharply from 2015 onward, with 43% of the 200 most damaging events occurring in the last decade. Disasters coincided with increasingly extreme climatic conditions, highlighting the urgent need to adapt to a more fire-prone world. Editor's summary: As climate warms and humans build in more undeveloped environments, the threat of costly wildfire disasters is thought to be increasing. Cunningham et al. examined data about the global distribution, frequency, and associated climate conditions of the most lethal and costly wildfire disasters from 1980 to 2023, finding that disaster risk was highest in regions near relatively affluent, populated areas, and that the frequency of economically disastrous wildfires increased sharply after 2015. They also found that major disasters coincided with extreme climatic conditions. —Jesse Smith [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=188431533
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1126/science.adr5127
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 6
        StartPage: 53
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Wildfires
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Land management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biomes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Built environment
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cunningham, Calum X.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Abatzoglou, John T.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kolden, Crystal A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Williamson, Grant J.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Steuer, Markus
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bowman, David M. J. S.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 02
              M: 10
              Text: 10/2/2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00368075
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 390
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6768
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Science
              Type: main
ResultId 1