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10 of the Worldâs Largest Fires
To some extent, wildfires are a natural part of a healthy forest ecosystem. Blazes can help strip dead organic materials and release nutrients. Some plants even require fire to sprout. But, whether started by abandoned campfires or lightning strikes, fires that reach a high intensity and that cannot be contained often become severely destructive. Furthermore, the drier and hotter the conditions, the more devastating these blazes can be. Climate change, driven largely by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, has made extreme heat waves five times more likely than they were 150 years ago, and wildfires are getting worse globally.
With worsening fire seasons come detrimental impacts on human health. Fires can cause loss of housing and infrastructure and increase environmental contaminants, leading to the potentially fatal consequences of smoke inhalation. Still, the problem is often not as simple as a singular fire causing all the damage. Many of the most destructive blazes are referred to as a collective series of fires, or a fire season, as it is common for large wildfires to form from the spread and convergence of smaller fires. Although 2024 set a new record for the largest amount of land burned by forest fires on a global scale, there have been numerous large fires since the beginning of the 20th century that have had catastrophic effects in the regions where they occurred.
New South Wales Bushfires: Australia, 1974â75
The most devastating fire season of all time burned an unprecedented 117 million hectares (289 million acres) of land throughout Australia, amounting to about 15 percent of the land on the continent. Six people lost their lives in the fires, and the flames wiped out communications systems, agricultural facilities, and other infrastructure. The middle regions of the continent were most affected, although about half of the scorched land was reportedly uninhabited.
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Siberian Taiga Fires: Russia, China, and Mongolia, 2003
During the spring and summer of 2003 about 22.5 million hectares (55 million acres) of land burned throughout eastern Russia and expanded into China and Mongolia. NASA reported smoke plumes rising up to 5 km (3 miles) above the ground. The fires corresponded with a year of abnormally high air temperatures and followed historic fires in the region the year prior. Fires of this magnitude grew more common through the 2010s. The region is thinly populated, and no confirmed casualties occurred.
Black Summer Bushfires: Australia, 2019â20
During what is remembered as Australiaâs âblack summer,â an estimated 19 million hectares (47 million acres) of the countryâs bush blazed. As the fires progressed, 33 people and an estimated one billion animals were killed. That summer was the warmest and driest to date, aiding the spread of the flames. The historic fires drew increased attention to sustainability issues and climate change across the country. Complicating Australiaâs recovery efforts were their coincidence with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russian Wildfires: Russia, 2021
Wildfires in the Russian taiga are not anomalous, but the 2021 wildfires, which spanned about 18.2 million hectares (46 million acres), certainly were. They set a new record for being Russiaâs most destructive fires, for the levels of devastation from past fires had held steady since 2012. Some organizations estimated that as much as 90 percent of the fires had been caused by people, whether through complications involving electrical lines or through campsite activities. There were no confirmed deaths from the fires.
Canadian Wildfires: Canada, 2023
As one Canadian researcher said in 2023, âThe word âunprecedentedâ doesnât do justice to the severity of the wildfires in Canada this year.â The 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned by these fires doubled Canadaâs previous record. With the perfect conditions set by drought and extreme heat, lightning caused 120 fires on a single day in June. Eight firefighters lost their lives and hundreds of thousands of citizens were displaced as a result of the fires.
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Black Dragon Fire: China and Russia, 1987
Fire along both sides of the Black Dragon River spread over 1.3 million hectares (3 million acres) in China and up to 6 million hectares (15 million acres) in Russia. Consequently, about 200 people were killed, and tens of thousands more lost their homes. The fire devastated much of Chinaâs timber reserves and left a fifth of Chinaâs forests barren. It remains the largest wildfire in Chinese history. As a result, the countryâs government enacted fire control measures to prevent such a massive disaster from happening again.
Northwest Territories Fires: Canada, 2014
Canadaâs Northwest Territories region was home to 43,000 people and boasted vast forests and tundra when the 2014 fire season struck. By the end of the year 3.4 million hectares (8.4 million acres) of land had been scorched by more than 380 fires, which combined to make the season one of the worst in the countryâs history. There were no serious injuries or deaths as a result of the disaster.
Manitoba Fires: Canada, 1989
The province of Manitoba sits midway across Canada, just above North Dakota and Minnesota. It is known for having more than 100,000 lakes and being a large agricultural producer. But in 1989 it became known for something else: about 25,000 people had to be evacuated during fires that burned 3.3 million hectares (8.1 million acres). Although there were no fatalities, the blazes ultimately cost $68 million to control.
Black Friday Fires: Australia, 1939
On January 13, 1939, the Australian state of Victoria was covered with smoke. Fires had spread over the previous weeks, but on that Friday alone 36 people lost their lives to the flamesâa number that would grow to 71 by the end of the month. The fires had been brought on by years of drought in the area, coupled with rising temperatures and strong winds that helped the blazes spread. By the time the fires were over, 2 million hectares (5 million acres) had been destroyed, and 75 percent of Victoria had been affected in some way.
Great Fire of 1919: Canada, 1919
The Great Fire of 1919 burned nearly 2 million hectares (5 million acres) across northern Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada. The fire is remembered in part because of firsthand accounts from Indigenous people in the region, specifically the Cree. The flames burned local telegraph lines, delaying the fireâs report in some areas. Despite relief efforts, at least 11 people died in the fire or from injuries sustained in it.