A global wildfire paradox: Human impacts worsen even as total burned area declines

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have spotted a contradiction in worldwide wildfire trends: Despite a 26% decline in total burned area from 2002 to 2021, the number of people exposed to wildfires has surged by nearly 40%.

source https://phys.org/news/2025-08-global-wildfire-paradox-human-impacts.html