Wildfires are Erasing Climate Progress

Wildfires are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and are a major contributing factor to climate change.

To put the carbon emissions from wildfires into perspective, data from the Global Fire Emissions Database show that California wildfires in 2020 generated ~127 million metric tons of carbon dioxide – and would account for roughly half of the total emissions target from every sector and source in the state if California were to meet its 2030 goal of achieving 1990 emissions levels.

A study found the increase in emissions in 2020 from wildfires was about two times higher than the emissions cuts achieved through programs and regulations from 2003 to 2019. 

Carbon emissions from forest fires increased by 60% globally between 2001 and 2023, creating a climate-fire cycle in which carbon dioxide emissions warm the planet, creating conditions that lead to more fires. 

With climate change continuing to alter landscapes and worsen the problem, it may be time to reimagine how we build to coexist with wildfires.

There are also significant environmental harms caused by wildfires, most notably to air and water quality. 

They can lead to severe flooding, erosion, and deliver chemicals and metals to water systems. 

Urban fires inflict greater environmental damage than wilderness fires due to the spread of toxins released from burning various hazardous materials, which emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air and water. 

A 2023 study of smoke from fires in the wildland-urban interface found a vast array of chemicals and metals harmful to humans. After the Los Angeles fires started on January 7, 2025, air samples detected "highly elevated" levels of lead and arsenic several miles away, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.