Exceptionally early forest fires this spring in the northern hemisphere, particularly in Spain, are causing record carbon emissions, the European Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) noted on Thursday.
The forest fire season in the northern hemisphere started early this year, with major fires in Spain as early as March. Spain experienced the highest levels of emissions ever recorded for March as a result of these fires, equivalent to those from the 2012 fires, according to Copernicus.
It is rare to see fires of such magnitude so early in the year, but high temperatures and dry conditions over winter have exacerbated the fire risk.
More recently, major forest fires broke out in western Canada and in Eurasia (Kazakhstan, Mongolia and certain Russian regions). This resulted in Canada having one of the highest emissions levels ever recorded for the month of May.
The situation in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan was particularly extreme: while the region's previous emissions record in a single month of May was 2 megatonnes (Mt), emissions reached more than 23 Mt in May 2023.
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Summer is only just beginning but already looking concerning. Belgium has already suffered several fires: in the Hautes-Fagnes, in a spruce forest at La Roche-en-Ardenne and in the Antwerp nature reserve of Ruige Heide.
"As summer approaches in the northern hemisphere, the variables associated with increased forest fire risk, such as high temperatures and particularly dry conditions, are expected to be exacerbated," warns senior scientist at CAMS, Mark Parrington.
