Massive Wildfires Across the Globe: Could They be Linked to a Surge in Extreme Weather Conditions?

Wildfires are natural occurrences of the forests’ ecosystems and vital for the renewal of biomes and survival of some plant species. Studies indicate that in recent times, in many parts of the world, the frequency, extent, and austerity of wildfires have been escalating and occurring in places where they rarely occurred before. Several reports indicate that the environment is gradually warming up and is associated with severe droughts that could be responsible for such wildfire escalations. The humans’ role in climate change is vastly debated. Whereas some scientists believe that the current rise in atmospheric temperature is due to the changes in solar activities and is a part of natural climate cycle where humans have no accountabilities, the others disagree and suggest that the rise in atmospheric temperatures is aided by anthropogenic activities. Regardless of the scientific opinions on the mechanism of climate change, shifting climatic conditions are evidenced and supported by many scientific studies. This paper reports on some brutal wildfire activities in 2021 that severely impacted various parts of the world where extreme weather conditions were reported and where drought and environmental temperature surpassed all previous records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]