The 2018 Wildfire Season: 420,002,018th Year of Biomass Burning on Earth (Invited Presentation)

Once again it was a highly notable year of global fire activity. In 2018 large and devastating fires continued to occur globally. In July, California experienced both the largest fire in state history (Mendocino Complex; over 450,000 acres) and the sixth most destructive wildfire (Carr fire; over 1,600 structures and seven fatalities). During a European heatwave, Greece in July experienced the second most deadly wildfire anywhere in the 21^st Century (after Australia in 2009) with nearly 100 fatalities. In July Sweden, Norway, and Finland experienced their worst fire seasons in modern times due to extreme drought and high temperatures. The same European heatwave enabled unprecedented wildfires in the United Kingdom throughout the summer. During the summer British Columbia, Canada had over 560 wildfires. Smoke from these fires along with the fires in the West created numerous days of unhealthy air quality conditions for much of the summer across western North America. This presentation highlights the 2018 wildfire season, emphasizing the role of weather and climate, and key events and impacts through pictures and narrative.