[Why&Next] A Warmed Earth Due to Global Warming Created Massive Wildfires

Korean Temperatures Up to 10 Degrees Higher Than Usual
Dried Leaves and Vegetation Increase Wildfire Damage
"Wildfire Damage Rises by 14% for Every 1-Degree Temperature Increase"

On the afternoon of the 27th, a nighttime wildfire is spreading in the hills of Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam. Yonhap News

Wildfires occurring across the Gyeongbuk region are not easily subsiding. Although the exact cause of the fire ignition is still uncertain, there are indications that the climate crisis is a background factor that has exacerbated the damage. Concerns have also been raised that if wildfires become more frequent, a vicious cycle will form where carbon emissions increase again, accelerating the pace of the climate crisis.

Climate Central, composed of environmental scientists from the United States, analyzed the wildfire situation in the Yeongnam region of Korea on the 25th, stating, "From the 21st to the 26th, when the wildfires occurred, temperatures in Korea were 4.5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991?2020 average," and added, "Abnormally high temperatures contributed to the dangerous wildfire situation." They further explained, "Since the end of last year, a drier climate than average has formed, combined with dry continental winds blowing from the north and a lack of winter snow, resulting in a severe drought situation." This means that unusually warm weather and dry climate conditions have worsened the wildfire damage.

Scientists have long pointed out that the climate crisis caused by human activities increases the likelihood and risk of wildfires. According to a paper published last month in the open-access journal Science Advances by the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), supercomputer simulations showed that with a 1-degree Celsius rise in global temperature due to climate change, the area of the Earth burned by wildfires increases by 14% annually. The study particularly highlighted significant increases in fires in central and southern Africa, the equator, Madagascar, Australia, and the western part of North America.

Global warming raises wildfire risks because it creates hot and dry climate conditions. When temperatures are warmer than average and there is less rain and snow, the moisture content in plants decreases. Fallen leaves and dust in forests also dry out, creating an ideal environment for wildfires to spread. The background of the Canadian wildfires in 2023, which burned approximately 15 million hectares of forest, also involved an unusual heatwave. At that time, the Earth's temperature was the warmest since 1850, and Canadian temperatures were 2.2 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991?2020 average.

Most greenhouse gases affecting wildfires come from fossil fuel power companies. The U.S. nonprofit scientific organization UCS analyzed in May 2023 how fossil fuel volumes increase vapor pressure deficit (VPD). VPD is an indicator showing how much water vapor the air can absorb. Areas with high VPD dry out easily because moisture escapes from plants and soil. According to UCS, carbon dioxide and methane emissions from 88 U.S. coal power plants influenced one-third of the area burned by wildfires in the western part of North America over 40 years.

When hot climates meet strong winds, wildfire suppression becomes more difficult, increasing damage. The wildfire that occurred earlier this year in Los Angeles, California, was worsened by the Santa Ana winds, which reached speeds of 160 km/h. These winds blow through California every fall and winter and become dry as they pass over the Great Basin Desert. The large wildfires in Uljin and Samcheok, Gyeongbuk in 2022 were also greatly influenced by the 'Yangganjipung' winds blowing from Yangyang and Goseong in Gangwon Province.

Wildfires increase carbon emissions, creating a vicious cycle that accelerates global warming. According to the annual "Fire Weather" report published by the UK Met Office, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the University of East Anglia, global carbon emissions from wildfires during the frequent fire period of 2023?2024 totaled 8.6 billion tons, a 16% increase compared to average years.

Matthew Jones, a researcher at the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of East Anglia, explained, "Carbon emissions from fires in Canada amount to nearly ten years' worth, with over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide recorded in a single fire season," adding, "This increases atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and intensifies global warming."