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How might burning coal seams and forests have added carbon dioxide to the atmosphere during the Permian extinction?

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Line graph showing the number of marine animal families from the Precambrian era to the present, with illustrations of key groups such as trilobites, ammonoids, marine reptiles, and diatoms. The graph highlights major extinction events and a rise to 1,900 living families today. — Permian extinction The diversity of marine animal families since late Precambrian time. The data for the curve comprise only those families that are reliably preserved in the fossil record; the 1,900 value for living families also includes those families rarely preserved as fossils. The several pronounced dips in the curve correspond to major mass-extinction events. The most catastrophic extinction took place at the end of the Permian Period.

During the Permian extinction, the massive eruption of the Siberian flood basalts—known as the Siberian Traps—played a critical role in altering the carbon cycle and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.123

As the volcanic activity occurred, the rising magma and hot lava interacted with the surrounding environment in ways that significantly impacted the atmosphere:

Burning Coal Seams: Geoscientists suggest that the rising magma burned through extensive coal seams. This process released large quantities of carbon dioxide and coal fly ash into the atmosphere.123
Burning Forests: The flow of hot lava across the landscape ignited and burned forests, further contributing to the injection of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.12

These emissions, combined with the venting of volcanic gases, likely contributed to the environmental instability that characterized the end of the Permian Period.12