Forbes February 3, 2025
The Growing Wildfire Crisis: Costs, Causes, and Urgent Solutions
The Los Angeles County wildfires are on track to be the costliest in U.S. history, with damages estimated at $135–$150 billion. Smoke-choked skies stretch for miles. Mass evacuations send thousands fleeing. Entire communities—homes, schools, businesses—are reduced to ash and rubble.
And yet, this is not an anomaly. It’s the new normal.
Wildfires have grown larger, deadlier, and more frequent. In just two decades, the global burned area has increased by 17%, with North America, Australia, and the Mediterranean experiencing record-breaking fire seasons. Wildfires now account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, spewing 5–8 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually—more than the entire European Union.
In 2019–2020, Australia’s bushfires wiped out...
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