By Ami Horn
In recent years, forest fires have become a bigger problem. From the Englewood Hills fires this past year, to the California wildfires, to the Canadian ones that painted the sky orange, we all have experienced the effects of them in one way or another. According to the World Resources Institute, 2024 had the largest number of forest fires recorded in history. Enough trees have been burnt down to fill the entire country of Greece. Forest fires are caused by and cause further climate change. Hot and dry temperatures frequently result in these fires. When trees burn, which are carbon-based organisms, combine with the O2 in the air to form CO2 more commonly known as carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gasses absorb radiation and trap atmospheric heat further contributing to global warming. Forest fires cause major monetary and physiological damage. Approximately $893 billion dollars a year in damages worldwide are caused by these fires. That is costing on average $108.9 per person every year. The damages caused by these rampant fires is not only monetary. Smoke inhalation can lead to cognitive impairments, chronic respiratory issues and death by many different causes.
Though these dangers may seem too massive to tackle, there are lots of ways that we can take part in the preventation and treatment of forest fires. Experts recommend properly extinguishing bonfires, never leaving campfires unattended, and joining Firewise USA programs to help implement wildfire mitigation strategies.