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Daily Data InsightsGlobal wildfire burn has declined in the last 20 years due to less shrub and savanna burning

Global wildfire burn has declined in the last 20 years due to less shrub and savanna burning

Faceted bar chart showing global wildfire burn across different vegetation types from 2000 to 2022. Burn rates have declined in shrublands and savannas, but haven't changed for forests.

The average area burned by wildfires each year has fallen in the last few decades. This is due mainly to changes in land practices, including the intensification of agriculture and less savanna burning.

This chart shows the estimated area burnt by wildfires each year, broken down by land cover type. This data comes from the Global Wildfire Information System.

The area of shrublands and savannas burned each year has decreased since the early 2000s, while the area of forest burned has remained very similar.

Much of this decline has occurred in Africa and, to a lesser extent, in Oceania.

This doesn't mean that weather-related risks of wildfires have declined: warmer and drier conditions increase these risks. And despite a global reduction, countries can experience very large and anomalous years. Last year’s large burn in Canada is a clear example.

This year also looks to be on-track to be the largest wildfire year this century.

Explore wildfire data across the world, updated weekly

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