Earth and Environment Atlas

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Phenomena

Wildfire

Climatology

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A wildfire, also called a forest fire, brushfire or bushfire, is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire burning in an area of combustible vegetation. Wildfires are classified by their cause of ignition, their physical properties, the combustible material present and the effect of weather on the fire, and their severity results from a combination of available fuel, physical setting and weather. Climatic cycles of wet periods that build up fuel followed by drought and heat often precede severe wildfires, and these cycles have been intensified by climate change; the carbon a wildfire releases can itself add to atmospheric carbon dioxide, a feedback that further affects climate.

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Associated With

Drought, Phenomena

Prolonged drought dries vegetation into fuel and is a well-documented driver of wildfire frequency and severity.

Heat Wave, Phenomena

Extreme heat lowers fuel moisture and is a documented co-driver of major wildfire outbreaks.

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