The 2023 Wildfire Season: 420,002,023rd Year of Biomass Burning on Earth

Every year wildfire impacts some place on Earth. The year 2023 was no exception with major events in Canada, Greece (and elsewhere in Europe), and Hawaii as of this writing. Fatalities, evacuations, community structure losses, and health hazard from smoke are all common to the story. Climate and climate change are very much part of the confluence of conditions that enables catastrophic fires. Weather is a primary driver of fire such as when hurricane level winds fanned the Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii wildfire. Hot and dry regional patterns increase fuel aridity and enables increased fire potential such as witnessed in Canada and Europe this summer. Smoke from Canada’s record fire season easily found its way across much of Canada and the U.S. producing air quality in the unhealthy to hazardous categories. Fire management agencies and organizations in the U.S. continue to ramp up prescribed burning to address hazardous fuel reduction, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and overall ecosystem and watershed health. This presentation provides highlights of the 2023 global fire season, emphasizing the role of weather and climate, key events, actions, and impacts through pictures and narrative.