The “Pyrocene” is coming. At least, that’s the theory first proposed by fire historian Stephen Pyne in a 2015 article.

In a 2023 interview with Explorer Magazine, U.S. Forest Service ecologist Gavin Jones described the Pyrocene as the current era in which humans are experiencing more fire activity than before. Key driver – human activity.

this wildfire It is currently sweeping through the suburbs of Los Angeles, California and other areas, killing at least 11 people so far and causing the destruction of more than 30,000 acres of land and more than 10,000 buildings. It was the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history.

As wildfires around the world become more frequent each year, climate scientists are increasingly concerned that climate change will make them worse.

A seemingly unstoppable and violent wildfire began in several neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and destroying 10,000 homes and buildings. About 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) have burned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

All hands on deck fighting #PalisadesFire In Southern California. The state of California is deeply grateful to the brave firefighters and first responders battling the fires.

We will continue to mobilize resources and support local communities as they prepare for this severe weather. pic.twitter.com/JZrYy85e4z

— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 8, 2025

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a video posted on X on Wednesday that it is no longer fire “season” in California. “That’s true all year round in California.”

Pine, professor emeritus in the College of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, agrees. He told Al Jazeera that we now “have to live in the Age of Fire, which is the Age of Ice.”

Is climate change causing California wildfires?

Many experts believe this is very likely.

Scientists warn that the Earth is warming to record-breaking levels. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) confirmed on Friday that 2024 will mark the first full year of global temperature decline Exceeding pre-industrial levels 1.5 degrees Celsius increase.

C3S says the climate crisis is pushing the world to temperatures never before experienced by modern humans.

A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says climate change is leading to increases in the frequency, length of seasons and areas burned by wildfires.

Because of all this, Pyne said, global warming “adds energy to the system, intensifies wet and dry periods, lengthens fire seasons, intensifies all the (already powerful) factors that make California fires”.

How exactly does climate change drive wildfires?

The exact cause of the California fires that started in the Palisades area of ​​Los Angeles on Tuesday is unknown and is under investigation.

“But they’re people, too,” Pine said. “They may be directly associated with people (malice, carelessness), or they may be indirectly associated with people (for example, through faulty electrical wires). At this time, their origin is unknown.”

However, experts say a combination of environmental factors likely created optimal conditions for the calendar-defying fire. spread as fast as possible.

For one thing, Southern California hasn’t seen significant rainfall in months.

this Latest map of U.S. Drought Monitors Data show that as of January 7, only 39.1% of California was completely drought-free. The rest of the state was described as “abnormally dry,” with some areas experiencing “moderate to abnormal” drought.

Last year around this time (as of January 2, 2024), 96.7% of California was classified as drought-free. Additionally, only 3.4% of the state is abnormally dry, and no region is experiencing any severe drought.

Extremely dry conditions cause vegetation to become extremely dry and therefore highly flammable.

In addition to this, there are numerous other flammable materials in Los Angeles’ infrastructure, such as low-hanging power cables and wooden utility poles.

Experts say hot Santa Ana winds also blow from inland across the region toward the coast and offshore, further dehydrating vegetation. When vegetation is very dry and the environment is very flammable, any spark can start a fire, whether it’s a burning cigarette butt, vehicle or electrical wire.

Are other natural disasters related to climate change?

Yes. Climate change, combined with poor urban planning and management, is exacerbating natural disasters around the world, including cyclone separator, hurricane and flood.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believe that if the earth’s temperature exceeds the pre-industrial average temperature by 2 degrees Celsius, hurricane wind speeds may increase by 10%.

They also say climate change may be slowing how quickly hurricanes move, not how fast they move. This means a storm can dump more water in its path.

Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at India’s Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, said warm oceans helped the cyclone intensify quickly. Tell Al Jazeera April 2023.

Last October, World Weather Attribution (WWA) explain Climate change caused by fossil fuel use is causing seasonal rainfall to increase by 5% to 20% in 2024 in the Niger and Lake Chad basins, leading to more flooding.

Asian countries have also experienced severe flood recent years. In April 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report finding that Asia is warming faster than the global average.

WMO Director General Celeste Soro said in a statement, “Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, accompanied by a range of extreme conditions, ranging from drought, heatwaves to floods and storms.” She added that climate change was exacerbating “the frequency and severity of these events.”

Will these events get worse if climate change is not addressed?

Wildfires are expected to worsen over time due to climate change and land-use changes, according to a 2022 report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and its partner environmental communications center GRID-Arendal.

The report predicts that extreme fires will increase by 14% globally by 2030, by 30% by the end of 2050, and by 50% by the end of the century.

Additionally, wildfires damage the environment in other ways. In the case of California fires, “when (if) the winter rains finally arrive, it could lead to hillside erosion and mudslides,” Pine said, suggesting that post-fire cleanup “will be messy, lengthy and expensive.”

Human-created conditions also make it difficult to cope with the consequences of environmental disasters.

“Contemporary homes are filled with plastics, synthetic materials and electronics that can be toxic if caught on fire,” Pine said.

How do wildfires affect wildlife?

Wildfires can quickly burn acres of land and have varying impacts on the wildlife that inhabit the fires.

According to an article published by North Carolina State University, the impact depends on the type of wildlife and their habitat requirements, as well as the intensity and frequency of wildfires.

When fires quickly consume large areas of land, some species can quickly escape. “Some animals, especially those that are unable to move or are too slow to escape, are more susceptible to the effects of wildfire smoke and heat,” the report explains.

Does this generally impact the environment?

OK. Some wildlife may lose habitat as wildfires thin vegetation, and the resulting movement of wildlife can disrupt the balance of an area’s local ecosystem.

Take snakes for example. There are approximately 33 species of snakes endemic to California.

Michael Starkey, a conservation biologist whose work focuses on snake conservation Tell Al Jazeera Rising temperatures and dry conditions are making some areas unsuitable for some snake species.

Starkey said that while some snakes may leave, other species may become extinct. This is a problem because snakes eat rodents, which can damage crops for human consumption. This ripple effect affects the entire food system.

California is also home to 700 species of vertebrates, simply put, animals with backbones and bones. This makes the state the most biodiverse in the United States, according to a March 2024 article from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In 2020 and 2021, record-breaking wildfires swept across California, burning more than 4.2 million acres.

“Sadly, bushfires have killed or displaced nearly 3 billion animals. It makes me wonder what is happening to our wildlife,” Jones, a U.S. Forest Service ecologist, was quoted as saying in the USDA article.

The article stated that John Keane, an ecologist at the Pacific Southwest Research Station, said that the spotted owl is a special species worthy of attention. “Wildfire hazards can destroy old-growth trees and dense forests where spotted owls rely on for nesting, roosting and foraging.”