Wildfires Have Rendered Our World Unrecognizable

(Bloomberg) -- Extreme heat has fueled some of the worst fires on record in many parts of the globe. Unprecedented bushfires that started last December in Australia burned through 17 million hectares (42 million acres), an area the size of the state of Washington, and killed at least 33 people. California’s fire season has already broken records, with 3.1 million acres burned and 3,900 structures destroyed as of Sept. 10. Elsewhere, wildfires have destroyed native forests, forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people, worsened air pollution, and released carbon dioxide that will contribute to yet more warming. 

France

Violent fires fueled by strong winds forced the evacuation of 2,700 people around the city of Marseille in August.

South Africa

A fire propelled by gale-force winds burned cars on Signal Hill, a popular lookout point in Cape Town.

California

Huge blazes darkened skies in the Bay Area and forced evacuations in much of the state.

Greece

In the Peloponnese, 57 fires broke out over less than 24 hours in July, forcing authorities to evacuate five residential areas.

Portugal

A firefighter died while fighting to save Castelo Branco, which had been devastated by another fire 17 years before.

Brazil

The Amazon had its worst start to the fire season in at least a decade, with more than 10,136 fires spotted in the first 10 days of August.

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