In recent weeks, devastating wildfires have spread in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Tunisia and Canada, causing human casualties as well as massive environmental and economic damage.
While wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, scientists have warned that they are becoming more frequent and more widespread. In response, an upgraded version of European Space Agency’s (ESA) World Fire Atlas is now available providing a detailed analysis of wildfires across the globe.
Rising global temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme weather events has led to a surge in the number of wildfires rapidly consuming extensive areas of vegetation and forested lands. Countries like Greece and Italy have already experienced the devastating impact of large-scale blazes.
In light of the severe wildfires, ESA has reopened its World Fire Atlas which offers an insight into the distribution of individual fires taking place at both a national and global scale.
Read the full ESA article here.
