Climate-linked escalation of societally disastrous wildfires

Climate change is forcing societies to contend with increasingly fire-prone ecosystems. Yet, despite evidence of more extreme fire seasons, evidence is lacking globally for trends in wildfires with socially and economically disastrous effects. Using a systematic dataset, we analyse the distribution, trends, and climatic conditions connected with the most lethal and costly wildfire disasters from 1980-2023. Disastrous wildfires occurred globally but were disproportionately concentrated in the Mediterranean and Temperate Conifer Forest biomes, and in populated regions that experience intense fire. The frequency of disastrous wildfires increased sharply from 2015, with 43% of the 200 most damaging events occurring in the last 10 years. Major disasters coincided with extreme climatic conditions, and such conditions significantly increased from 1980-2023, highlighting the urgent need to adapt to a more fire-prone world.