Wildfires around the world: In pictures

Flames rise as a wildfire burns near the village of Monokaria, on the island of Evia, Greece, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou - RC2H0P932H6B
Wildfires have raged in recent weeks in countries including Greece, Turkey and the United States.Image: REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
  • Recent weeks have seen serious wildfires hit numerous countries around the world.

  • A new IPCC Climate Report warns that extreme weather events are likely to be more frequent as a result of climate change.

  • From Greece to California, firefighters have been tackling the flames.

Wildfires have never seemed far from the news in recent weeks, leaving devastation to people, homes, businesses, history and wildlife in their wake.

Fires have raged in Turkey, Greece, Italy and Spain this summer, with at least eight lives lost, hundreds evacuated and untold damage to lives and livelihoods.

Firefighting planes have been tackling the fires on the island of Evia, Greece. Image: REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis
Volunteers have been taking on the fires in Turkey, seen here in Mugla province. Image: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
A large wildfire broke out in Sardinia in July. Image: Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERS
The fires have left a trail of destruction in their wake.Image: REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis
Fires damaged the Kemerkoy Thermal Power Plant in Turkey.Image: REUTERS/Mehmet Caliskan
Firefighters in Italy used helicopters to tackle flames. Image: Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERS

A major wildfire is also raging in California, with the Dixie Fire now the second largest in the state's history.

At least three people are missing with thousands evacuated to temporary accommodation.

The Dixie Fire is one of several wildfires California's firefighters are tackling. Image: REUTERS/Fred Greaves
The historic gold rush mining town of Greenville was almost completely destroyed by the fire.Image: REUTERS/Fred Greaves

Major fires burn in Russia

Major wildfires are also burning in Russia, with ABC News reporting that they're larger than all the other fires raging around the world combined. Smoke from the fires has even reached the North Pole.

Smoke has reached the north pole.Image: Reuters

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that extreme weather is set to get more frequent – including longer and more intense fire seasons.

So, with these photos highlighting the pain and suffering these fires cause, the need for action is clear.

As World Economic Forum President Børge Brende said in response to the report: "The forest fires and floods of recent weeks delivered a clear language. And so does the IPCC report: we need to cut the carbon in our atmosphere now."

License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.