Wildfires and the Changing Carbon Balance

According to a new study published in Nature Climate Change, the increasing ferocity of wildfires means that the Arctic Boreal Zone, once a significant carbon sink, is now experiencing a major shift, with over 30% of the region turning into a carbon source.

About Wildfires

• Wildfires are large, uncontrolled fires that rapidly spread across vegetation, forests, and grasslands, often fueled by dry conditions, wind, and high temperatures.
• Wildfires release significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, disrupt ecosystems, destroy habitats, and contribute to a dangerous feedback loop that accelerates global warming.

Global Trend of Wildfires

• Wildfires worldwide are becoming more frequent and intense, driven by worsening climate conditions.
• Recent Wildfire Events
• • The Eaton and Palisades fires in California destroyed more than 14,000 structures and scorched approximately 16,000 hectares of land.
  • In February 2025, a major wildfire near Ofunato city in Japan burned nearly 2,900 hectares, damaged around 210 buildings, and displaced over 4,200 residents.
• According to the Copernicus Air Monitoring Service (CAMS), wildfires released 800,000 tonnes of carbon globally in January 2025, nearly four times more than the same period a decade ago.
• Data from NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites revealed that the heat radiated from fires in early 2025 exceeded the 2003–2024 average by an entire order of magnitude.
• In India, states like Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh recorded the most wildfires in 2024, although the number of fire hotspots nationwide is slightly declining.

Factors Contributing to Rising Wildfire Incidents

• Rising Temperatures: Rising temperature is making the atmosphere and vegetation drier making them more susceptible to fire.
  • Rising land temperatures in India’s northwest, northeast, and central regions are accelerating by 0.1º–0.4º C per decade, increasing wildfire risks.
• Changing Heatwave Patterns : Heatwaves are occurring earlier, moving slower, and lasting longer, creating ideal conditions for wildfires.
  • For Example; On  an average,  heat waves have slowed down nearly 8 km/day each decade and lasted longer by about four days , the effects being particularly drastic in North America and Eurasia.
  • Heat waves have also increased in frequency, from about 75 events averaged over 1979-1983 to about 98 over 2016-2020.
• Dry Spells:  Prolonged dry spells due to climate change are drying out soil and vegetation, making forests more flammable.
• Carbon Emissions from Forest Fires: Forest fires in India alone emit around 69 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, further aggravating global warming.

About Arctic Boreal Zone

• The Arctic Boreal Zone, located along the Arctic Circle, is the vast northern ecosystem that spans across 26 million square kilometers, including:
  • Tundra (treeless regions)
  • Boreal forests (taiga)
  • Wetlands
• It is found primarily in regions like Alaska, Canada, Northern Europe, and Siberia.
• Indigenous communities in the Arctic Boreal Zone. 
  • Inuit: The most widespread Arctic coastal people, living from Arctic Russia to Canada to Greenland. The word “Inuit” means “the people” in the Inuit language of Inuktut. 
  • Saami: Live in the circumpolar areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Northwest Russia. 
  • Aleut: Also known as Unangan, lives in Alaska. 
  • Yupik: Also known as Yupiit, lives in Alaska. 

Climate Characteristics

• The region experiences extreme cold with long, harsh winters and short summers.
• Permafrost (frozen ground) is a defining feature, remaining below 0°C for at least two consecutive years.
• Short growing season with limited sunlight for vegetation growth, especially in the tundra areas.
• Cold-adapted species such as reindeer, Arctic foxes, and various migratory bird species inhabit the region.
• Role as a Carbon Sink: Historically, the Arctic Boreal Zone has acted as a carbon sink, meaning it absorbed more carbon than it emitted.
  • It is known for being soil organic carbon reservoirs.
• This role was due to:
  • The presence of vast areas of forests and wetlands that sequester carbon through vegetation and soil.
  • Permafrost, which locks up vast amounts of carbon and organic matter.

Transformation of the Arctic Boreal Zone (ABZ)

• Sink to Source: While the Arctic Boreal Zone (ABZ) absorbed carbon from 2001 to 2020, one-third of the zone has been releasing carbon dioxide since 2020.
  • Alaska accounts for 44% of the newly detected carbon emissions from the ABZ.
  • Northern Europe and Siberia contribute 25% and 13%, respectively, to the region’s carbon emissions.
• Factors contributing to the Transformation
  • Thawing tundra permafrost, driven by global warming, is releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide as the soil warms and organic matter decomposes.
  • Increased wildfire activity in the Arctic is burning through natural carbon reservoirs, releasing even more carbon and accelerating warming.
• Feedback loop: Wildfires release carbon, which contributes to global warming, creating hotter, drier conditions that lead to more wildfires forming a destructive feedback loop.
  • Events like the Eastern Siberia fires in 2003 and the Timmins wildfire in 2012 have significantly contributed to this shift by releasing massive amounts of carbon.
• The 2024 Arctic Report Card by NOAA supports these findings, stating that the Arctic tundra is now a net source of carbon emissions.