Texas Fires Have Emitted a Near-Record Amount of Carbon.

According to an analysis by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, Texas fires in January and February of 2024 emitted approximately 3.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. In January alone, 440,400 tons of CO2 emissions were released, while February saw even more fire activity, including the state's largest fire on record, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which emitted 2.9 million tons of CO2 emissions. These emissions rank behind only 2008 in terms of Texas fire-linked carbon emissions over the past two decades. The fires have also had devastating effects, including the death of over 7,000 livestock animals and the destruction of ranches and homes. [Extracted from the article]